Will limited clashes between Israel and Hezbollah lead to a widespread war? Latest developments
The intensity of clashes between the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation has escalated over the past two days, involving guided missiles, mortar shells, and artillery, in addition to drones.
Hezbollah stated in separate statements that it carried out a series of attacks along the border with Israel.
It mentioned attacking three drones at gathering points for Israeli occupation soldiers west of Kiryat Shmona, causing direct injuries.
It also targeted an infantry gathering near the Dahr El Ahmar site, opposite the Lebanese border in the western sector of southern Lebanon, in addition to an Israeli infantry force in the Karnitina hill near the Hidab Yaron site.
Hezbollah also confirmed targeting the Brannit base, the command center for the Israeli occupation’s 91st Division, with volcano rockets. It also hit an Israeli infantry gathering in the Taheet area with missiles and artillery, causing direct injuries.
Hezbollah, through its affiliated Al-Manar channel, stated that the number of injuries in northern Israel since the start of the border confrontation on October 8th reached around 1523 people, but Israel has not confirmed this.
In contrast, the Israeli army stated that it targeted Hezbollah‘s infrastructure and a cell that attempted to launch anti-tank missiles from Lebanon near the village of Marounin in the central sector of the border. The airstrike appears to have been carried out by a drone.
It added that it “attacked through fighter jets, attack helicopters, and tanks on Hezbollah‘s infrastructure inside Lebanon, in response to the firing of missiles from Lebanon towards Israeli territory.”
Israel carried out an airstrike on the town of Ayta ash-Shab and shelled several southern towns, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
Areas around Hula and Horsa Hura were subjected to Israeli shelling, and there was artillery shelling on a boat in the Marjayoun district.
The shelling extended to the areas of Wadi Al Salouqi and Horsa Hura between Derdimas and Kafr Kila in southern Lebanon. There was also an Israeli airstrike on Mount Lebanon in the Naqoura area in the western sector.
The official National News Agency confirmed yesterday the martyrdom of 9 civilians, including two journalists, during an Israeli raid in southern Lebanon.
In this context, Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bouhabib said that Israel deliberately targets journalists, a flagrant violation of international law and the suppression of freedom of opinion and the press.
Bouhabib added, during a meeting with the Belgian Foreign Minister upon his arrival in Brussels yesterday, that the ministry will file a complaint to the United Nations Security Council, calling for condemnation of this heinous crime. He warned of the extension of what he described as the “Gaza fire” to the Middle East if efforts are not combined to extinguish it, according to Agence France-Presse.
In contrast, it seems that the Israeli side is preparing for another confrontation with Hezbollah, as Israeli security officials informed The Wall Street Journal that they estimate that the Israeli army has deployed about 100,000 soldiers on the border with Lebanon.
According to the newspaper, Israeli soldiers turned border areas in the north into an undisclosed camp, where tanks and armored vehicles are deployed in the streets, and soldiers set up tents in the fields.
Military trainers were sent to villages to update the combat skills of reserve soldiers, including training for direct confrontation.
One of the paratroopers stated that the issue of war is not about speculation, whether it will erupt or not, but only about estimating its timing.
