Israel continues operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel continues to attack southern and eastern Lebanon after the intense air offensive carried out by the Israeli Air Force on Friday night into Saturday against Hezbollah's headquarters in the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh that resulted in the death of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, and other leaders of the party and Shiite armed militia allied with the Islamic Republic of Iran, such as Nabil Qaouk, a member of the pro-Iranian party's Central Council. 

Thus, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) continue to attack Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon. The attack on the headquarters of the armed Shiite militia revealed that it was located under residential buildings, which for the Israeli army shows that Hezbollah continues to use the civilian population as human shields and to use civilian infrastructure as shelters and weapons depots, something that the pro-Iranian organisation denies. 

In recent hours, the Israeli Air Force has bombed dozens of Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon, including launchers aimed at Israeli territory, structures storing weapons and other terrorist infrastructure of the armed militia, the IDF reported. An attack in the early hours of Sunday morning left six dead. 

‘The IDF continues to strike terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in Lebanese territory. Air Force fighter jets, under the direction of the Northern Command, attacked dozens of terrorist targets in Lebanese territory in the last few hours,’ the IDF said on its social network account X.

On the same social network, the Israeli army has defended the execution of these attacks with the same argument that they are directed against ‘buildings that stored weapons and military structures’ of the Shiite armed group.

The IDF has reiterated that it will continue to ‘damage and degrade the military capabilities and infrastructure’ of the armed militia in Lebanon. 

Sunday's offensive followed Israel's attacks on Beirut on Saturday that left 33 dead and 195 wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The Shi'ite militia also fired at least eight rockets from Lebanon that landed in northern Israel, causing fires in the Tiberias area, but no injuries. In addition, early on Sunday, an Israeli Navy ‘Sa'ar 4.5’ class missile ship successfully intercepted an unmanned aerial target approaching Israel from the Red Sea area outside Israeli territory.

As has become the norm in recent days of fighting, the Israeli authorities urged residents of several communities in northern Israel, located within a few kilometres of the Lebanese border, to reduce their movements and to stay close to air raid shelters.

More than 1,600 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel intensified its attacks on Hezbollah strongholds, leaving more than 6,000 wounded, according to the Lebanese government.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese armed forces on Sunday called on the local population to ‘preserve national unity’ and not to encourage actions that could ‘damage civil peace’ in the face of Israel's ‘continuous criminal attacks’.

Meanwhile, Israel may be mobilising troops to the border areas with Lebanon, according to the US. The Israel Defense Forces are reportedly considering a ground incursion into Lebanon, according to US sources.

Tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East with clashes between the Israeli army and the extremist groups Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. A situation that has come about after the attacks of 7 October committed by Hamas in Israeli territory, which left around 1,200 dead and 250 people kidnapped, in response to which the Israeli state ordered military attacks against the Gaza Strip, governed by the Palestinian group, which have already left tens of thousands of people dead.

In the face of this scenario came attacks also by Hezbollah and accusations by Iran in defence of the Palestinian people.