Beirut and Tel Aviv — Tensions escalated sharply in the Middle East as Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement launched heavy rocket barrages towards Israel on Sunday, following a powerful Israeli airstrike on Beirut that killed at least 29 people the day before.
The Israeli military reported that rockets fired by Hezbollah landed near Tel Aviv, destroying or setting alight houses in the vicinity of the city. Residents in areas such as Petah Tikvah experienced impacts, with several individuals sustaining minor injuries. Sirens sounded across much of Israel as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Hezbollah had fired 250 rockets, many of which were intercepted. At least four people were injured by shrapnel.
“A direct hit on a neighborhood has left houses in flames and ruins,” the IDF reported. Television footage showed significant damage to residential buildings, and video obtained by Reuters captured a projectile striking the roof of a building in the northern city of Nahariya.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, stating it had launched precision missiles at two military sites in Tel Aviv and nearby areas. The group has previously vowed to retaliate against attacks on Beirut by targeting Tel Aviv.
In anticipation of the strikes, the Israeli military had warned via social media of planned operations targeting Hezbollah facilities in southern Beirut. Subsequent airstrikes demolished multiple apartment blocks in the Dahiyeh suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold. The IDF stated it had hit command centers “deliberately embedded between civilian buildings.”
The escalation follows intensified bombardments over the past two weeks, coinciding with signs of progress in U.S.-led ceasefire talks. On Saturday, Israeli forces conducted one of their most powerful strikes on central Beirut, resulting in significant casualties. Lebanon’s health ministry updated the death toll on Sunday, reporting a total of 29 fatalities from the previous day’s attack and noting that 84 people had been killed nationwide on Saturday alone. The cumulative death toll since October 2023 has risen to 3,754.
The Israeli offensive, initiated in September against the Iran-backed Hezbollah, has caused widespread displacement, uprooting more than one million people in Lebanon. Israel asserts that its military actions aim to secure the return of tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from the north due to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks, which began in support of Hamas at the onset of the Gaza war in October.
Ceasefire Efforts and Diplomatic Developments
U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein recently highlighted progress in negotiations during a visit to Beirut, where he met with Lebanese officials before traveling to Israel to consult with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, following discussions in Beirut, stated that a U.S. ceasefire proposal was awaiting final approval from Israel.
“We must pressure the Israeli government and maintain the pressure on Hezbollah to accept the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire,” Borrell urged. He also announced that the EU is ready to allocate 200 million euros ($208 million) to support the Lebanese army.
While reports from Axios indicated that Israel is moving towards a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that no final agreement had been reached, with key issues remaining unresolved.
Diplomatic efforts are focused on restoring a ceasefire based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war. The resolution requires Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters to at least 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Israeli border and mandates the deployment of the Lebanese army within the buffer zone.
Casualties Among Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese army reported that at least one soldier was killed and 18 were injured in an Israeli strike that caused severe damage to an army center in Al-Amiriya near the southern city of Tyre. The Israeli military expressed regret over the incident, stating that it was targeting Hezbollah and not the Lebanese army, and that an investigation was underway.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the attack, declaring that it “represents a direct bloody message rejecting all efforts to reach a ceasefire, strengthen the army’s presence in the south, and implement Resolution 1701.”
The situation remains volatile as both sides exchange fire and international mediators work towards de-escalation. The ongoing conflict has significant implications for regional stability, with the potential to impact political, economic, and social dynamics across Asia and beyond.
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Hezbollah rockets land near Tel Aviv after Israeli strike on Beirut
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