The face-off between Israel and Lebanon based militia, Hezbollah degenerated into full blown war on Sunday morning with rockets, drones and jet bombers deployed by both sides in the latest escalation between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
Reuters news agency reported that Hezbollah, backed by Iran, fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Northern Israel in the group’s promised reprisal for the killing of its commander in Beirut weeks ago.
Israel military said it carried out preemptive strike on targets in Lebanon to forestall and minimize the damages from the group’s attacks.
Various media outlets reported at least three deaths in Lebanon, but it is unclear what the death toll in Israel, if any, is.
The Hezbollah morning attack targeted key military infrastructure, including the so-called Iron-Dome, the missile defense system used by the Jewish to counter or minimize damages from its enemies’ missile and rocket attacks.
Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in skirmishes in the wake of the latter’s ongoing brutal operation, which have consumed tens of thousands Palestinians and incurred worldwide outrage, since the 7th October attack by Hamas (Palestine’s armed group) on Israel.
Western and Middle Eastern political leader fear that the current brickbat between Israel and Hezbollah on the one hand and the Israel/Gaza crisis on the other, risk degeneration into a wilder and more devastating conflict in the region.
It is unclear how Sunday’s attacks would affect the ongoing Israel/Hamas Ceasefire deal, but there is apprehension that its failure could bring in Hezbollah’s main sponsor, Iran, into the war, a development would definitely bring in Israel’s main ally, the USA.
Israel Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant declared a state of emergency in the early hours of the conflicts after the country’s security council meeting,
“We are determined to do everything possible to defend our country, to return the residents of the north safely to their homes and to continue to uphold a simple rule: Whoever harms us – we harm him,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
