Israel Strikes Lebanon as Hezbollah Fires Rockets
Israel launched a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday, claiming it to be a pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah. The Lebanese militant group later fired hundreds of rockets and drones into northern Israel, reportedly in response to the killing of commander Fuad Shukr in July....
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Facts
- Israel launched a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday, claiming it to be a pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah. The Lebanese militant group later fired hundreds of rockets and drones into northern Israel, reportedly in response to the killing of commander Fuad Shukr in July.[1][2]
- The Israeli military claimed Hezbollah intended to launch projectiles at central Israel, but some 100 Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah rocket launchers and targets that 'posed an imminent threat to the citizens of the State of Israel' in Lebanon 'to remove the threat.'[3][4]
- However, Hezbollah — which says it only aimed at military targets — dismissed Israel's claims that it had foiled the group's anticipated attack with pre-emptive strikes, stating it successfully launched its drones as planned and the second phase of its retort to Shukr's killing would take 'some time.'[5][6]
- Hezbollah said its attack involved more than 320 rockets aimed at 11 sites in Israel, including the Meron base. Lebanon's health ministry said three people had been killed in Israel's airstrikes. While Israel said there had been little damage, it temporarily closed the Ben Gurion airport.[2][7]
- While Hezbollah indicated it wasn't planning further retaliatory attacks yet, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has declared an emergency for the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, British Airways and Wizz Air have suspended flights to Tel Aviv until Wednesday.[8][9]
- Sunday's exchange of fire comes as negotiators meet in Egypt to restart cease-fire talks to end the months-long fighting in Gaza. Previously, Hezbollah, which has expressed solidarity with Hamas, said it would stop attacking Israel if there's a cease-fire.[10][11]
Sources: [1]Euronews, [2]Al Jazeera, [3]Timesofisrael (a), [4]Timesofisrael (b), [5]Reuters, [6]Associated Press, [7]Alarabiya, [8]Jerusalem Post, [9]Evening Standard, [10]New York Post and [11]Bloomberg.
Narratives
- Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Timesofisrael and New York Times. This war is based on the right of existence of Jewish people and the state of Israel. The IDF operated in self-defense from Hezbollah as it was planning to attack Israeli civilians. While the country doesn't seek a full-scale war, it will do everything to protect its people and territory. Israel's war in Gaza will continue until Hamas is rooted out of the coastal territory.
- Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Opinio Juris and The Hill. Israel has tried to build a narrative that its war against Hamas is based on its right to self-defense. However, Israel doesn't have the right to use force on territory on which the Palestinians are entitled to exercise their right of self-determination. It's not Hezbollah's military targets on an aggressor, but Israel's indiscriminate attacks on civilians that risk drawing the whole region into a full-blown war.
- Narrative C, as provided by Washington Post and Iiss. This dangerous conflict is threatening to expand and spiral out of control. While Hezbollah's ongoing aggression risks dragging the people of Lebanon into a broader escalation, any significant escalation in the fighting could morph into a regional conflagration drawing Hezbollah's backer, Iran, and Israel's ally, the US. The international community must end the bloodshed in Gaza immediately.
