In a sudden escalation that brought back the terror of war in Lebanon, Hezbollah fired rockets and drones at Israel in response to the killing of the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, unleashing a harsh Israeli retaliation with bombings over Beirut and the south of the country.
Israel, which has already deployed troops at the border, appears intent on launching a decisive campaign to permanently neutralize the militant group’s threat, while the Lebanese government condemns Hezbollah’s action as irresponsible and bans its military activities.
HEZBOLLAH’S ATTACK
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group, broke a fragile ceasefire that lasted over a year by launching rockets and drones against Israel on the night between Sunday and Monday.
As the New York Times writes, the attack occurred around 1 a.m., with a missile launch and a swarm of drones directed at Israeli positions.
Hezbollah described the action as a defense of Lebanon and a response to repeated Israeli aggressions, but analysts like Maha Yahya from the Carnegie Middle East Center call it “a suicide mission,” knowing the group cannot compete with Israel’s military superiority.
According to France 24, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack in an official statement, justifying it as revenge for Khamenei’s “pure blood” and Israeli incursions after the 2024 ceasefire.
The BBC adds that the rockets targeted the city of Haifa and a missile defense site but caused no casualties or significant damage in Israel, confirming the operation’s more symbolic than effective nature.
As reported by the Economist, this limited intervention suggests that Hezbollah, weakened by the previous war that decimated its leadership and arsenal, is acting under Iranian pressure, with IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) officers directing its moves after the death of former leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2024.
ISRAEL’S IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
Israel wasted no time responding, launching a series of airstrikes on over 50 villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold.
As reported by the BBC, Israeli forces struck targets such as command centers, weapons depots, and intelligence infrastructure, killing alleged leaders like Hussein Meklad, the group’s intelligence chief. Explosions tore through the night, with smoke and fires visible across the capital, and roads near Beirut airport reduced to rubble.
The Guardian describes scenes of panic among civilians: families like that of Abu Yehya, a 41-year-old worker, fled on foot for hours, taking refuge in squares like Martyrs’ Square, evoking the traumas of the 2024 war.
Israel ordered the evacuation of dozens of locations, warning residents to move at least one kilometer away, as detailed by France 24.
The Nyt highlights that this “dizzying” response caused at least 52 deaths and 154 injuries in Lebanon by Monday evening, according to Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Hanin al-Sayyed, with thousands of displaced preparing for a prolonged conflict.
THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT’S CONDEMNATION
Hezbollah’s move caused an internal rift in Lebanon, with the government reacting with an unprecedented condemnation.
As the New York Times writes, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the attack an act that ignores “the will of the majority of Lebanese,” announcing after an emergency cabinet meeting the ban on all the group’s military activities and the obligation to hand over weapons to the state. This is the toughest stance ever taken against Hezbollah, which has held parallel power in Lebanon for decades.
The BBC reports that Salam labeled the action as “irresponsible and suspicious,” giving Israel pretexts for further attacks, while President Joseph Aoun warned those intending to turn Lebanon into a battlefield for external conflicts.
The Economist notes that even in Hezbollah’s Shiite base there is anger: a businessman cited calls the decision “crazy and irresponsible,” and the government, encouraged by popular discontent, seems ready to challenge the group to avoid a new civil war.
The Guardian adds testimonies from exhausted residents, such as an anonymous woman from the Beirut suburbs, accusing Hezbollah of sacrificing Lebanon for Iran.
THE HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES
The escalation triggered an immediate humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands of Lebanese fleeing the affected areas.
As reported by the Guardian, at least 29,000 people took refuge in emergency shelters by Monday evening, with scenes of families camped on thin mattresses under the sun, and traffic paralyzed by suitcases and blankets.
Residents like Zeinab, a teacher interviewed by the BBC, recount being awakened by explosions, running terrified through the streets with their children, convinced they would not survive.
The New York Times highlights how Lebanon, already exhausted by the 2023-2024 war that destroyed villages and decimated Hezbollah, is reliving the same nightmare: Israeli drones constantly buzz over Beirut, and people stockpile food, water, and fuel.
The Economist emphasizes that this widespread fatigue has eroded support for Hezbollah even among its loyalists, with analysts predicting a further decline of the group, dependent on Iranian funds now at risk after Khamenei’s death.
ISRAEL’S PLANS
Israel seems determined to seize this moment to deliver a fatal blow to Hezbollah.
As reported by U.S. News and World Report, Israeli forces have deployed additional troops to the Lebanese border, occupying defensive positions but ready to advance, with Defense Minister Israel Katz authorizing control of new sites after the attack.
Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, cited by the Guardian, stated that “the IDF will not conclude the campaign before the threat from Lebanon is eliminated,” preparing soldiers for “many prolonged days of fighting.”
The BBC adds that Zamir promised a “devastating blow,” with options like a ground invasion “on the table,” according to spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin.
The Times of Israel describes the latest airstrikes on Beirut, which hit weapons depots, command centers, and even Al-Manar TV studios, Hezbollah’s broadcaster, with preventive evacuations to minimize civilian casualties.
Analysts like Lina Khatib, cited by the New York Times, predict that “this will be the final war between Hezbollah and Israel, which could end with the obliteration of the group,” with Israel seeing the opportunity to act “now or never.”
