In the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning, Hezbollah opened a brand new entrance in the US-Israeli war against Iran when it launched “missiles and a swarm of drones” at a navy base in northern Israel.
The Iran-backed militant group, which has its energy base in southern Lebanon, referred to as it revenge for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Never thoughts that Israel says the assault did no injury. One projectile was intercepted, whereas others fell in open areas.
Or that Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam referred to as it “an irresponsible and suspicious act,” and banned Hezbollah’s navy actions.
Israel has been poised for this second for months. Even after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took impact in 2024, the Israeli navy has been hanging Lebanon on a near-daily foundation, accusing Hezbollah of violating the settlement by rearming and rebuilding its forces. In November, Israel stated it killed Hezbollah’s second most senior determine and Chief of Staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai.
But these had been largely particular person strikes.
In the previous, the US tried to forestall a wider battle alongside the Israel-Lebanon border, serving to to arrange the first direct talks between the two international locations’ civilian officers late final yr. Now Hezbollah’s determination to enter the fray and develop the battle has given Israel’s management each motive it wants to dramatically intensify its strikes on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut.
“Hezbollah opened fire last night. We warned it. It will pay a heavy price,” stated Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin at a press briefing. As of Monday morning, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health stated at the least 31 folks had been killed and 149 injured in Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon.
A day earlier, Israel introduced it was calling up 100,000 reservists – “dozens of battalions, brigades, and divisions” – lots of whom could be deployed to the northern border with Lebanon. The IDF nonetheless occupies 5 factors throughout the border, holding them indefinitely as remark posts from which it could actually look into southern Lebanon.
With such a big mobilization of further forces, Defrin was requested if Israel is making ready for a broader floor incursion into Lebanon.
“All options are on the table. We are conducting ongoing situation assessments,” stated Defrin.
The IDF’s international media spokesman, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, was extra demure when requested the similar query. “There are no imminent preparations underway for a ground invasion,” Shoshani informed reporters. But he warned about the risk of an extended marketing campaign forward.
“If Hezbollah escalates further, this situation could continue for weeks,” he stated.