Israel launches strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after Nasrallah assassination

BEIRUT: Israel said it carried out airstrikes on “dozens” of Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Sunday, following the assassination of the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The airstrikes marked a steep escalation in the already intense war between the two enemies who risk a regional conflict.

Confirmation of Nasrallah’s death arrived in the heels of an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, where the camp of the Hezbollah leader lies. The group has been led for nearly five decades by Nasrallah. The loss is brutal. The Israeli military intensified its bombardment today against buildings associated with Hezbollah’s weapons and infrastructure.

Israel reportedly has been launching attacks on Hezbollah bases at hundreds of sites across Lebanon since the latest escalation began, a bombardment whose aim is said to be weakening and hobbling the group’s capabilities. For all intents and purposes, such attacks evoke what essentially amounts to low-intensity cross-border clashes that have flared up ever since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

It’s revenge,” said the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “for the several attacks conducted against the citizens of the State of Israel.” He drove the message home by repeating that Israel was keen on ridding itself of the Hezbollah threats, as he said, “Israel has all the rights to remove this threat and bring our citizens back to their homes safely.”

The killing of Nasrallah, who has cult status among his Shia Muslim supporters, has sparked condemnation from various quarters. Iran condemned the “unjust bloodshed,” promising retaliation, while Hamas labeled the assassination a “cowardly terrorist act.” Mourning has been declared in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.

Casualties have been too high to count in the past, with over 700 reported deaths in Lebanon since the recent bombardment that was triggered by Israel airstrikes. Sources quote that more than 200,000 are forced to be internally displaced within Lebanon, and many more have been forced out into neighboring Syria. It is not any different as families are being made homeless due to the heated war.

For now, though, it is eastern Syria that has absorbed the blows of unclear origin attacks that, on Wednesday, hit military positions, killing 12 pro-Iran fighters, according to local sources. The situation continues to complicate the regional landscape.

According to the diplomats, de-escalation of the war in Gaza can only come if the ongoing war is brought to an end. The violence continues to escalate and the situation remains precarious with both sides taking preparation for further conflict.