Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Heavy Fire
On Sunday morning, August 25, 2024, several preemptive strikes were carried out by Israel across the Southern border of Lebanon. The attack on Hezbollah was the biggest since the full-scale war between them in 2006. The casualty rate is fairly low; Hezbollah and its Amal allies disclosed that three fighters had been killed, and only one navy soldier on the Israeli front was killed.
According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), about 100 fighter jets directed by IDF intelligence struck and destroyed thousands of rocket launchers that were aimed at the Israeli home front. IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari reported in a recent press briefing, “The IDF identified Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing missiles, rockets towards Israeli territory.” He went on to say that their attack was executed as an act of self-defense to thwart these threats.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli aircraft had struck Beaufort Castle, the Bir Kalb area, and the outskirts of the towns of Ain Qana, Kfar Fila, Louaizeh, Bsalia, Kfar Melki, Sajd and Sarba. Despite the hits, soon after, Hezbollah declared that it had targeted and hit 11 Israeli military facilities in Israel and the occupied Golan Heights with more than 320 Katyusha rockets. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated in a televised address on Sunday evening that the group had targeted a military intelligence base about 110km (68 miles) into Israeli territory, which was only 1.5km (0.9 miles) away from Tel Aviv. Despite the group saying the operation had been completed “as planned,” Israel’s military said its intelligence base near Tel Aviv wasn’t hit. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said an initial assessment showed “very little damage” in Israel.
The barrage was carried out as retaliation for the assassination of senior commander Fuad Shukr on July 30, 2024, in Beirut. Nasrallah warned that the group would “reserve the right to respond at a later time” if the impact of the attack was deemed insufficient.
(Explosives photographed in the air in the Middle East on August 25, 2024)
What is Hezbollah?
Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based Shiite Muslim political party and militant group. It was established in the 1980s during Lebanon’s civil war under the influence of the theocratic government in Iran to oppose Israeli occupation and resist Western powers. It is a designated terrorist organization by Western States and Israel.
Since 1992, Hezbollah has been participating in national elections and has acquired a large political presence as well as control over most of Lebanon’s Shiite-majority areas. Funded and equipped by Iran, the group is one of the most heavily armed, non-state military forces in the world. Their leader is Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. He has led Hezbollah since 1992 and has played a major role in turning the group into a political force.
Background of the Conflict
Conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has been present since the group’s inception. Following periodic operations against one another during the 1980s and 1990s, Israel was forced out of Lebanon in the year 2000 after being targeted with numerous terrorist attacks. In the years after, Hezbollah continued its assault on Israel until an all-out war broke out in 2006 as a result of a Hezbollah cross-border kidnapping operation.
The war ended after the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 was written up. This document stated the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River along the borders of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria would be free of all armed personnel, assets, and weapons except for those belonging to the government of Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In the following years, scattered, small-scale attacks back-and-forth ensued. However, tensions were rekindled following the start of the Israel Gaza War in October 2023. After the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions in support of the group. Since then, fighting has intensified and according to the UN, almost 200,000 people have been displaced on both sides of the border.
(Weapons-free zone decreed by UNSCR 1701)
Will the Conflict Grow?
The events on Sunday August 25 have not triggered an all-out war, however, the risk of regional conflagration remains present. Tensions have increased after Iran, which is the supporter of Hezbollah, Hamas, and other militant groups present in the Middle East, stated they intended to carry out a strike as requital for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s top leader, on July 31, 2024. The possibility of the conflict growing poses a significant threat to the region as further spillovers could draw in Israel’s ally, the United States.
However, diplomats have said the two sides have exchanged messages saying neither wants the conflict to escalate further. Observers have also mentioned that both sides have aimed to keep the hostilities contained. Though Hezbollah says it will only stop hostilities once the fighting in Gaza is ceased, officials have expressed that the group does not seek a wider war.
Furthermore, diplomatic negotiations continue as the US hopes to broker a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. The Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has also announced that he was “holding a series of contacts with Lebanon’s friends to stop the escalation.” Moreover, the Prime Minister called for the implementation of UNSCR 1701 which ended the war in 2006.