JERUSALEM. Tensions continue to escalate as Israel launched ground raids into southern Lebanon on Tuesday, targeting Hezbollah strongholds, while Hezbollah responded by firing missiles into central Israel, including at a Mossad facility near Tel Aviv. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that commando and paratroop units carried out limited incursions across the border overnight, in an operation aimed at weakening Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
The raids come after intense Israeli airstrikes that have targeted Hezbollah’s leadership. Last week, Israel claimed responsibility for the assassination of Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut, a move that has provoked further retaliation from the Iran-backed group.
“Hezbollah has converted Lebanese villages near our border into military bases poised to attack Israel,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson. He emphasized that Israel’s operations are focused on Hezbollah, not the Lebanese population. Despite Israel’s assertions, Hezbollah’s media relations chief, Mohammad Afif, denied any Israeli ground incursions into Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah announced that its missile strike, dubbed the “Fadi 4,” hit military positions in the suburbs of Tel Aviv. The missile, reportedly part of a series with progressively greater payloads, was aimed at a Mossad intelligence facility and a military unit near Tel Aviv. Israeli ambulance services confirmed that two people were injured by shrapnel from the barrage, while a missile fragment caused significant disruption to traffic near Kfar Qasim, east of Tel Aviv.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents of southern Lebanon in Arabic on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), cautioning them of ongoing “heavy fighting” with Hezbollah fighters. He also accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields.
As Israeli ground operations continue, reports from local sources indicate that Hezbollah has been actively launching counterattacks. Residents of southern Lebanon have begun evacuating as Israeli airstrikes draw closer to their communities.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed grave concerns during a meeting with United Nations officials and ambassadors of donor countries. “Lebanon is facing one of the most dangerous stages in its history,” he said, calling for more than $400 million in aid to address the growing humanitarian crisis.
In response to Israel’s attacks, Hezbollah has vowed to fight back, with one Sidon resident, Abu Alaa, declaring, “Not just Hezbollah, all of Lebanon will fight this time. All of Lebanon is determined to fight Israel for the massacres it committed in Gaza and Lebanon.”
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to spread across the region, as Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen, including the Houthis, have launched their own attacks in support of Hamas. On Tuesday, Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for drone strikes on Israeli military positions in Tel Aviv and Eilat.
As Lebanon braces for a potential full-scale Israeli invasion, Israeli strikes have already displaced over one million Lebanese and killed more than 1,100 people, according to Lebanese authorities. The ongoing conflict has sparked fear and anger across Lebanon, with many residents preparing for the worst as the threat of further Israeli incursions looms.
Israel has indicated that its operations will continue until Hezbollah’s military capabilities are neutralized and Israeli citizens who fled northern border areas can safely return to their homes.
In a separate but related incident, Israeli airstrikes in Syria on Tuesday killed three civilians and injured nine others in Damascus. Israel has been targeting Iranian-linked positions in Syria for years, but the frequency of strikes has increased since Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel in October 2023.
The broader conflict, ignited by Hamas’s initial attack, has already claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis and left more than 41,300 Palestinians dead in Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry. The situation continues to spiral, with no immediate end to the hostilities in sight.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
