• Hezbollah fires more than 100 rockets into Israel in retaliation to Israeli shelling but minimal damage was done on the Israeli side.
• The attack came in retaliation for Israeli shelling in the Bekaa region.
More than 100 Katyusha rockets were fired by Hezbollah at Israeli military posts. The attack came in retaliation for Israeli shelling in the Bekaa region, resulting in at least one civilian casualty and several injuries.
Israel had launched four strikes on the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek, with one strike hitting the southern entrance and three others near the city of Taraya, west of Baalbek. The exchange of hostilities marks an intensification of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli military along Lebanon’s southern border since October.
Initially confined to the southern border region of Lebanon, Israeli strikes have expanded northwards in recent weeks, indicating a broadening of Israel’s campaign. Fears of an all-out Israel-Hezbollah conflict was there from the beginning. However, one may ask how much further can it get? With the current geopolitical situation, any full-scale invasion of a sovereign nation will most likely lead to a world war or a major regional conflict. This only leaves non state actors like Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis to do the majority of the fighting.
The latest round of hostilities saw the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) conducting two waves of airstrikes deep into Lebanon. Following the strikes in Baalbek, Hezbollah launched a barrage of approximately 70 rockets at the Golan Heights, marking one of the largest attacks by the group in the ongoing conflict. A further 30 rockets were fired later, with Hezbollah claiming responsibility for targeting Israeli army bases in the Golan Heights. Despite the intensity of the rocket barrages, there were no reported damages or injuries on the Israeli side. The Iron Dome air defence system intercepted some projectiles, and sirens sounded in northern Golan Heights and the Galilee Panhandle.
The fact that minimal damage was done is a significant piece of information that people may overlook. Firstly, the rockets that were used, Katyusha rockets, are outdated Soviet rockets and it isn’t a surprise that little damage was done. Furthermore, this will be used as an excuse to disproportionally further retaliate and as we have seen, Israel’s retaliation includes the killing of civilians and heavy infrastructure damage.
This situation is reminiscent of many scenarios where a Palestinian throws a rock at heavily armed Israeli forces and they are thereafter responded to with bullets. This scenario perfectly sums up this entire conflict. Therefore, it may be in Israels interest to make the threat from Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis look much bigger than it actually is. This will create an excuse for Israel and this excuse will allow Israel to essentially have a free hand in the middle east.
In an initial response to the rocket attacks, the IDF carried out airstrikes targeting three rocket launchers in southern Lebanon. The IDF stated that the strikes on Baalbek were aimed at Hezbollah’s “aerial unit” in retaliation for the group’s use of explosives-laden drones toward the Golan Heights.
The exchange of hostilities adds to the rising toll of casualties and damages on both sides since October. The IDF has been conducting strikes on Hezbollah strongholds, with recent attacks reaching as far north as Baalbek, nearly 100 kilometres from the Israeli border.
At least 312 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of cross-border violence on October 8 according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, 17 people have been killed according to the official figures. This further highlights the difference in military power and shows how tight the leash of America is on Israel in comparison to how tight Iran’s leash is on Hezbollah.
