Israel attacks Hezbollah in Lebanon, escalating conflict in northern Lebanon

On Thursday, the Israeli military launched renewed attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, which came after two days of device explosions that raised fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.The assaults on southern Lebanon involved airstrikes and artillery, although Israeli ground forces did not cross the border, according to an Israeli official In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces announced the strikes, claiming they were aimed at diminishing Hezbollah's capabilities and infrastructure. The announcement coincided with the much-anticipated response from Hezbollah's leader, who addressed the attacks via walkie-talkies and pagers.Two Israeli soldiers reportedly lost their lives during combat in northern Israel, as per the IDF's statement. In Lebanon, the Ministry of Public Health reported that four individuals were injured in the raids on a town in southern Lebanon, as per the state-run National News Agency. However, the toll was not limited to the immediate aftermath of the strikes. At least 37 people, including two children were reported to have been killed, while thousands more suffered injuries across Lebanon, as stated by the country's health minister early Thursday. The casualty figures represented a substantial increase, leaving the nation in shock and the region on the edge of conflict. As the international community urged for restraint following the months of devastating war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel's focus appeared to have shifted to its northern border with Lebanon, marking a "new phase" in the long-standing conflict with Hezbollah.

Escalation of Military Operations

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addressed the "new phase" in a video posted on X, indicating that it would bring both risks and advantages. He cautioned that Hezbollah would face an "increasing price" as the situation escalates."Hezbollah feels that it is being persecuted, and the sequence of military actions will continue," Gallant stated. "Our goal is to ensure the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes."In the wake of the attacks, Lebanon found itself in disarray, with the public distressed and hospitals overwhelmed. The Lebanese Army reported that specialized units were detonating "pagers and suspicious communication devices in various areas," warning the public to stay away from the blast sites and report any suspicious devices.A former senior Israeli security official disclosed that the devices were not detonated as part of a strategic decision but due to a sense of necessity, emphasizing that it became a "kind of use it or lose it situation." The official clarified that Israel did not have immediate plans to go to war with Lebanon.