In a dangerous escalation of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the two adversaries have moved closer to a full-scale war, with both sides engaging in aggressive military actions.
The conflict reached a critical point on Tuesday when the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, launched explosive drones at a key Israeli command base in Safed.
Hezbollah justified the attack as a response to recent high-level Israeli assassinations on Lebanese soil, specifically citing the killings of Wissam al-Tawil and Saleh al-Arouri. The group declared that the strike on the Safed base marked the first time it had targeted the site, a significant development in the ongoing hostilities.
As air raid sirens blared across northern Israel, the Israeli military responded with airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery strikes on multiple targets inside southern Lebanon. The strikes included an attack on a car during the funeral of a senior Hezbollah commander, Ali Hussein Barji, who was killed the day before.
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, emphasized his country's openness to negotiations while expressing concern about the looming threat of war. Mikati, not affiliated with Hezbollah, called for a lasting peaceful solution and questioned the international community's stance on the potential destruction, drawing parallels with the situation in Gaza.
Hezbollah's attacks extended beyond the Safed base, with the group claiming to have targeted at least six Israeli military posts along the border. Israeli media confirmed the landing of at least one drone inside the Safed base, but the Israeli army reported no injuries or damage.
The violence has led to tens of thousands of people fleeing on both sides of the border, raising fears of an escalating conflict. Israel has given diplomacy a chance to prevent further hostilities but has also conducted provocative attacks on Lebanese targets, including the high-profile assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, the Hamas deputy chief.
Amidst the growing tensions, the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, toured the Middle East in an attempt to prevent the regional spread of the conflict. Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, issued a warning, stating that the group did not seek to expand the war from Lebanon but emphasized that an inevitable response would occur if Israel expanded its actions.
The recent drone strike in southern Lebanon, which killed three people inside a car, added to the complexity of the situation. The Safed strike followed a previous attack on the Mount Meron airbase, causing significant damage and raising concerns about the conflict spreading beyond its immediate border areas.
Hezbollah contends that by keeping Israel's northern front active, it is aiding in reducing pressure on Hamas in Gaza.