Illustrative Image
On September 23, the Israeli military launched waves of heavy strikes in southern Lebanon. According to the Acting Minister of Health of Lebanon, the death toll has increased to 274 people killed as a result of strikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force on settlements in southern Lebanon.
The victims include 21 children and 39 women. Several ambulance personnel were also killed, their cars came under strikes. About 1,000 people were wounded. The death toll does not stop rising. According to the head of the Ministry of Health, the Lebanese are suffering such losses for the first time since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.
Israeli warplanes launched the most massive bombing in 11 months of hostilities. According to preliminary reports, the Israeli Air Force launched more than 550 strikes on targets in southern Lebanon in the last hours.
The Israeli military announced the defeat of three hundred Hezbollah infrastructure facilities in Lebanon. The targets reportedly included rocket launchers, armament depots and buildings used by militants.
The head of the press service of the Israeli Defense Ministry called on the Lebanese to leave their homes in the south of the country. According to him, the militants are storing weapons and shelling Israeli territory from residential areas. The footage shows secondary detonation as a result of the strikes on warehouses:
Hezbollah responded by launching dozens of rockets and kamikaze UAVs on the Israeli territory. According to preliminary reports, at least five Israelis were wounded.
Click to see full-size image
Israel is opening the second front. The ongoing hostilities escalated after a series of terrorist attacks in Lebanon. As a result of the explosions of pagers and other equipment, several thousand people were killed and wounded. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attacks. Israel also launched an airstrike on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, which led, according to the Jewish State, to the death of 16 high—ranking members of Hezbollah. Hezbollah has promised that Israel will pay for the attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to stay in power by waging a small victorious war. Israeli media called the actions of Israeli troops against Hezbollah the beginning of the Third Lebanese War, but without a ground invasion of Lebanon. However, the Israeli Defense Ministry declared its readiness to cross the border. The IDF Northern Command has approved the final plan of the operation, while it is not reported whether this will be an offensive deep into Lebanon or only in the border areas.
Massive air strikes often signal the upcoming ground offensive. Israel may indeed launch new ground operation in an attempt to fight on two fronts. However, the IDF’s insufficient numbers will not allow it to occupy Lebanon or even take and keep control of significant territories. Moreover, the ground offensive on the well-fortified Lebanese border will lead to inevitable Israeli losses. The ground operation may rather be an attempt to disorganize Hezbollah and limit its ability to conduct offensive military operations.
Most likely, the escalation will gain momentum in the near future. The anniversary of October 7th is approaching. Almost a year ago, after the Hamas attack on Israel, the bombing of the Gaza Strip began. The IDF has not yet completed its operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The total number of victims in the Palestinian enclave has already exceeded 41 thousand people.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
- Hezbollah Deputy Leader Says ‘Open-Ended Battle Of Reckoning’ With Israel Has Begun
- Iraqi Resistance Attacks Several Israeli Targets With Cruise Missiles & Suicide Drones (Video)
- Hezbollah Fires Rockets Deep Into Israel, Targets Air Base & Defense Factories (Videos)
- Clashes Heat Up On Lebanese-Israeli Border (Videos)
