Israel Strikes Lebanon Again; Hezbollah Launches Rockets in Largest Operation Since War's Start

Lebanon - Ekhbary News Agency

Israel Strikes Lebanon Again; Hezbollah Launches Rockets in Largest Operation Since War's Start

Beirut, Lebanon - The Israeli military confirmed on Wednesday that it had launched a new series of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in the southern suburbs of Beirut, pledging to act with "great force" in the area. The Israeli forces stated they initiated an operation against the infrastructure of the extremist group in Dahiyeh, a stronghold for the Iran-backed militia.

In a statement, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the Armed Forces would "soon act with great force against Hezbollah's facilities, interests, and military capabilities" in the area, following reports of Hezbollah rocket fire towards Israel "in the last few hours."

A series of explosions struck southern Beirut on Wednesday afternoon (evening local time), according to correspondents from the Agence France-Presse news agency and state media. Journalists reported hearing explosions throughout the city, while images showed large blasts and smoke covering the area. Lebanon's National News Agency reported at least "six heavy attacks" in the capital's southern suburbs.

Hezbollah, in contrast, claimed to have launched dozens of rockets toward Israel as part of its largest operation since the current conflict began. In a statement, the militia asserted that, "in response to the criminal aggression against dozens of Lebanese towns and villages and the southern suburbs of Beirut," its fighters targeted sites in northern Israel.

The Lebanese government reported that an Israeli airstrike in the country's south killed eight people on Wednesday. According to state media, the operation targeted a building housing displaced families. "The Israeli attack on the town of Tibnin, in the Bint Jbeil district, resulted in an initial toll of eight dead," said a Ministry of Health statement. Concurrently, the National News Agency reported that the casualty count included five members of the same family.

The ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah has claimed the lives of at least 634 people in Lebanon in ten days – including 91 women and 47 children – and injured 1,586, announced Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine. The total number of internally displaced persons registered with the authorities reached 816,000, with 126,000 housed in shelters, stated Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed during the same press conference.

Also on Wednesday, approximately twenty countries supporting the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, along with the UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, called for a truce between Hezbollah and Israel. "Immediate de-escalation and cessation of violence are imperative," urged DiCarlo during a Security Council meeting convened by France and supported by other nations.

DiCarlo appealed to Hezbollah to "cease its attacks against Israel" and "cooperate" with the Lebanese government, and called on Tel Aviv to "end its military campaign in Lebanon and withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory."

On behalf of at least 24 countries—including France, Germany, Portugal, India, South Korea, and Spain—the French Ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, urged Israel to "refrain from any attacks against civilian infrastructure and densely populated areas and to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity." The states also condemned "Hezbollah's irresponsible decision to join the Iranian attacks against Israel."

The Lebanese group joined the war in support of the Iranian regime, which was attacked by the United States and Israel earlier this month. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu justify the attacks on Iran as a means to dismantle its nuclear program and promote regime change in the Persian country. The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the attacks, and days later, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, assumed leadership of the country.

Ekhbary News Agency