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HomeLocalIsrael Responds to Escalating Middle East Tensions with Rocket Interceptions and Strikes...

Israel Responds to Escalating Middle East Tensions with Rocket Interceptions and Strikes in Beirut

 

Israel intercepts Hezbollah rockets, responds with airstrikes on Beirut amid escalating Middle East crisis


Hezbollah’s rocket attacks injured at least 10 individuals in Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, while Israel conducted significant airstrikes on Beirut on the night of October 7, marking a year since the Hamas assault that ignited the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

 

Hezbollah launched a series of missiles toward a military base located south of the coastal city, followed by another wave aimed at a location north of the city.

 

The Israeli Defense Forces reported that they successfully intercepted five rockets launched from Lebanon and were currently assessing the situation. They also shot down some of the 15 projectiles aimed at Tiberias, roughly 40 miles east of Haifa, near the Golan Heights.

Simultaneously, Israel targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut with missile strikes, the capital of Lebanon and the stronghold of Hezbollah. Over the past two weeks, Israel has executed numerous air assaults on the city, resulting in over 1,500 casualties.

 

The rocket barrages from Lebanon occurred just prior to the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, during which Hamas breached Gaza’s borders, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 individuals. This incident was the most significant escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades and marked the highest number of fatalities among Jews since the Holocaust, making it the deadliest day in Israel’s history.

 

In response, Israel initiated a ground and aerial offensive in Gaza aimed at eliminating Hamas, leading to nearly 42,000 deaths, according to figures from the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry. The relentless airstrikes have devastated the overcrowded territory, destroying vital infrastructure and pushing survivors to the brink of starvation.

 

In light of the deteriorating conditions in Beirut, the U.S. arranged a flight transporting approximately 90 individuals from the city to Istanbul on Sunday, as stated by a State Department spokesperson.

The ongoing siege has resulted in intensified assaults on Israel from Hamas allies in the region, notably Hezbollah. This Lebanese militia, operating with its own military capacity just like a nation-state, has been regularly firing rockets into northern Israel since the conflict’s beginning.

 

Israel’s campaign of airstrikes against Hezbollah commenced following a surge of activity from thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies across the country on September 17 and 18. Last week, Israeli forces crossed into Lebanon for the first time since 2006 in what was described as a limited operation targeting Hezbollah command centers. The ongoing clashes have displaced over 1.2 million residents in Lebanon.

For almost a year now, the Iranian-backed militant organization Hezbollah has escalated rocket attacks into northern Israel. The tensions on that border have intensified since the October 7 Hamas attack that claimed 1,200 lives. In retaliation, Israel has conducted military operations in Gaza that have reportedly resulted in around 40,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to the Hamas-controlled Gazan Health Ministry.

U.S. officials are increasingly alarmed that the rising tensions could spark a wider regional conflict in the Middle East and have been attempting to mediate a cease-fire.

Israel commemorates the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks

On Monday, Israelis participated in solemn memorial services to mark the anniversary of the October attacks. As sirens sounded in Tel Aviv following Hamas’s missile reference to the city, memorial attendees formed a human chain along a crowded street.

 

A gathering of around 300 people observed a moment of silence outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence, holding photographs of the many Israelis currently held hostage.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog led an official commemoration at Re’im, the site of the Nova Music Festival,

During an assault by Hamas fighters at a desert festival, over 360 individuals lost their lives, and numerous others were kidnapped.