TOUR OF DESTRUCTION: ISRAEL KEEPS STRIKING LEBANON, CLAIMS DISARMAMENT OF HEZBOLLAH
Threatens Escalation of Attacks on Lebanon if Hezbollah Arsenal Remains Intact
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon remain high as Israel vows to continue striking until Hezbollah, the powerful militant group, is disarmed. This declaration comes after a series of airstrikes on what the Israeli military claims are underground Hezbollah drone factories in South Beirut.
These attacks, which occurred on Thursday, were heavy and occurred despite an Israeli evacuation call on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a significant Muslim religious festival. The assault forced numerous residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold for Hezbollah, to evacuate their homes.
Thursday's barrage marked the fourth and heaviest Israeli bombardment of the area in the past six months since the ceasefire agreement aiming to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. The last attack took place in late April.
"Beirut will know no peace, no order, no stability without security for the State of Israel," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement.
"Agreements must be honored, and if you do not do as required, we will continue to act, and with great force."
The state-run National News Agency reported around a dozen strikes, while Health Minister Rakan Nassereldine stated that several individuals were injured by flying glass.
Frightened residents, donning masks, inspected the debris and damage to their homes on Friday, suggesting widespread destruction.
"A blatant act," declared a Hezbollah statement, with a preliminary assessment showing nine buildings being completely razed, and dozens more damaged.
Locals paint a grim, but resilient picture. A woman in her 40s who lives near one of the strike sites revealed she had escaped on foot with her young children, including a three-month-old baby.
"Thank God," she exclaimed after returning on Friday to find the windows of her flat shattered but the building mostly intact.
Resident Fatima, 40, summed up the spirit of many, saying "life goes on," as she and her two children adhered to Eid traditions, having fled the prior night.
Hezbollah ignited months of deadly hostilities by launching cross-border attacks on northern Israel in solidarity with their Palestinian ally Hamas following its October 7, 2023 attack.
France, part of the committee overseeing the ceasefire, condemned the strikes and urged all parties to respect the truce, noting that the monitoring mechanism "is there to help the parties deal with threats and prevent any escalation."
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli aggression as a "flagrant violation of an international accord… on the eve of a sacred religious festival," while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam branded the strikes as a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
International response to the situation is varied. Hezbollah backer Iran echoed the sentiment, dubbing the strikes "a blatant act of aggression against Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty."
However, under the ceasefire, Lebanon is expected to disarm Hezbollah, once its heavily armed rival. Tensions between the two entities remain high as the Lebanese army has reportedly made little progress in dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure, allegedly due to Israeli objections and ongoing violations of the truce.
The ongoing tensions are not only fracturing relationships within the international community, but are causing mass civilian destruction in Lebanon. A peaceful resolution seems to remain elusive as both sides dig in their heels, refusing to back down.
- The escalation between Israel and Lebanon, as seen in the war-and-conflicts, is significantly influenced by the political disagreements over Hezbollah's disarmament.
- The general news coverage of the ongoing war-and-conflicts between Israel and Lebanon frequently highlights the politically charged discussions about Hezbollah's disarmament, especially in light of the agreed-upon plan for Lebanon to disarm the militant group.
