Israel is consistently bombarding Hezbollah with air attacks
Following two spontaneous explosions caused by tampered radio devices, the Lebanese Hezbollah militia is left in disarray. Utilizing this opportunity, Israel unleashes numerous assaults on their rocket launching sites, as per their claim. The afternoon aerial attacks reportedly targeted "numerous rocket launchers" that were primed for "instant deployment against Israeli territory," according to the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron advocate for a diplomatic solution to the turmoil. Macron, addressing the Lebanese public in a digital broadcast, asserted that "no one desires escalation." France affirms its support for Lebanon and pleads with the political leaders in Beirut to prevent an impending war. He entreated, "Lebanon should not succumb to the fear of an impending conflict." Macron reportedly engaged in phone conversations with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Army Chief Joseph Aoun. He also communicated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller implored Hezbollah to halt their "terror attacks" on Israel. He suggested that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah could cease the hostilities against Israel - "and I assure you, we would clearly emphasize to Israel the need for tranquility under such circumstances," Miller remarked in Washington. However, as long as Hezbollah continues the assaults, "Israel will naturally resort to military measures to safeguard itself," Miller reasoned. The US persistently urges all parties to steer clear of escalation and prevent the spiraling of violence from spiraling out of control. The ultimate objective is to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The White House spokeswoman announced: "A diplomatic resolution is the most advantageous option." Biden views such a resolution as achievable.
Israel: Intensifying Conflict
The confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is witnessing an alarming escalation after the simultaneous detonation of hundreds of Hezbollah militia's radios on Tuesday and Wednesday. The explosions occurred in two waves, leading to 37 fatalities and nearly 3000 injuries. Hezbollah accuses Israel and threatens retaliation. Nasrallah acknowledged a "significant setback" to his militia. Israel, in his view, has "transgressed all boundary lines" with these explosions, he declared in a televised address.
Iran, Hezbollah's protector, also menaced Israel with a "catastrophic" response. "Such acts of terror, the inevitable outcome of the desperation and failed attempts of the Zionist regime, will soon be met with a catastrophic response from the Resistance Front," stated the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, as quoted by Iranian state media in a message to Nasrallah. The "Resistance Front" or "Axis of Resistance" is a militant coalition against Israel comprising Iran and its regional allies, including Hezbollah, the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas, and the Yemeni Houthi rebels.
The Israeli military remains steadfast in its pledge to "continue obliterating Hezbollah's infrastructure to protect the State of Israel." Israeli Defense Minister Joav Gallant had indicated that the war had shifted northwards, towards Lebanon. The purpose was to facilitate the return of the residents of northern Israel who had fled Hezbollah's assaults. Israel has remained silent on the explosions for which it is being implicated.
UN Security Council Summoned
According to Lebanon's UN representation, Hezbollah's communication devices were previously loaded with explosives before entering the country. "Preliminary investigations demonstrate that the affected devices were expertly armed with explosives prior to entering Lebanon, and that they were detonated via emails sent to the devices," the representation disclosed in a letter to the UN Security Council. These Israeli attacks were "unprecedented in their barbarity" and posed a threat to the diplomatic endeavors to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, it claimed.
At Algeria's behest, the UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for today, Friday. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib will also participate in the meeting. Since the commencement of the conflict between the Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2021, the confrontations between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, affiliated with Hamas, have intensified considerably in Lebanon. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border had to seek refuge.
The conflict has not been officially declared a war. Nonetheless, 623 individuals have already lost their lives in the fighting in Lebanon, among whom at least 141 were civilians. On the Israeli side, including the annexed Golan Heights, 24 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed, as per official statistics.
In response to Israel's ongoing attacks on Hezbollah's rocket launching sites, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron urgently call for a diplomatic resolution to prevent a potential 'War with Israel'. Macron, in a digital broadcast to the Lebanese public, emphasizes that no one desires escalation and that Lebanon should not succumb to the fear of conflict.
