Hezbollah has threatened to expand its attacks on Israel in response to the ongoing civilian casualties in Lebanon due to cross-border airstrikes. This development raises concerns about a potential escalation into full-scale war on Israel’s northern front.
Recent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of five civilians, including three children, following the deaths of three Lebanese civilians a day earlier. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports over 460 fatalities in Lebanon since last October, predominantly Hezbollah militants.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most formidable military and political entity, has intensified since Hamas’s assault on southern Israel on October 7. This attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken, provoked a significant Israeli military response in Gaza.
Both Hezbollah and Hamas receive support from Iran, though Hezbollah possesses the capability to significantly threaten Israel due to its advanced firepower.
In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that continued targeting of Lebanese civilians would compel Hezbollah to strike new targets within Israel. Nasrallah emphasized that further civilian casualties would prompt Hezbollah to launch missiles at previously untargeted Israeli population centres.
He also pledged to rebuild damaged homes in Lebanon, promising they would be more beautiful than before.
Israel has warned of severe consequences if Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks escalate. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has threatened to send Lebanon “back to the Stone Ages.”
Despite these threats, Israel maintains that no decision has been made regarding a broader military operation in Lebanon, although preparations are underway. Hezbollah has stated its reluctance to engage in war but asserts its readiness if necessary.
Iran-aligned groups in the region, including factions in Syria and Iraq as well as Yemen’s Houthis, have also been targeting what they describe as Israel-linked sites. The presence of Western forces, led by the US, in the Red Sea, aims to mitigate threats from Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, which have not been exclusively linked to Israel. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts by Arab mediators, supported by the US, appear stalled, although officials from Israel, Hamas, and other parties express willingness for further talks.
In Gaza, Israel’s nine-month-long military campaign against Hamas has resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian deaths according to local health authorities. On Wednesday, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes in central Gaza, killing nine civilians and targeting the Nuseirat refugee camp, where a previous strike killed 23 people at a school.