Israel strikes more Hezbollah targets – war escalating

The unmistakable boom of the sound barrier being broken echoed across Beirut’s skies today as Israeli fighter jets flexed their strength during the highly-anticipated address of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, writes Josh Schlicht.

Nasrallah – who appeared virtually fearing Israeli action – avoided a declaration of total war as some had expected. Instead, the Shia cleric announced that Israel crossed “all red lines” in their unprecedented gadget attacks which left 37 dead and nearly 3000 injured across Lebanon.

Hopes of a Hezbollah retreat from the southern border were dashed as Nasrallah vowed to intensify pressure on the Jewish state’s north, preventing thousands of displaced Israelis from returning.

Moments after the speech concluded, Israel announced the deaths of two IDF soldiers by an afternoon Hezbollah attack and the wounding of nine others. Israel’s opponents also lost several members throughout the day as airstrikes hammered Hezbollah positions across Lebanon’s mountainous south. The border war is picking up.

While violence accelerates between the two sides, Lebanon’s elected government condemned Israel’s “technological war” and pleaded for UN Security Council action. Similar calls condemning the attacks and emphasising deescalation radiated from the leaders of Belgium, Spain, and France. Meanwhile the American foreign secretary, Anthony Blinken, avoided blaming Israel but urged restraint to prevent a wider war and ensure a hostage deal. 

Deescalation appears especially extremely unlikely however, as the chief of the IDF announced today that he has “approved battle plans” for an expanded northern front. The new undisclosed initiatives follow Israel’s announcement on Tuesday that it is demanding the return of the nation’s displaced northern residents as a war aim.

The two-phased intelligence operation has drawn praise from many in the West for its incredible ingenuity and sophistication, but has drawn ire internationally as the far-from-surgical operation killed a number of Lebanese civilians, including two children, and maimed dozens of uninvolved bystanders. 

Nasrallah was keen to hone in on this point during his speech, referring to the attacks as a “massacre” and “war crimes”. The leader also acknowledged his side had been bested, bemoaning the “technological edge” of the Israelis. 

Conveniently, Nasrallah avoided taking responsibility for instituting a smartphone ban six months prior which made the operation possible. 

Companies from Taipei to Budapest are also eager to defuse claims of responsibility, as the mystery still remains of where the gadgets were intercepted in the supply chain and turned into explosive devices. 

The specifics are immaterial however, as the immediate repercussions of the strikes are manifesting in the war rooms and on the battlefield. Hezbollah, degraded and humiliated as it may be, made it clear today they are in the fight for the foreseeable future. As the IDF marches north under a new directive, and with Hezbollah digging in their heels, a war of greater magnitude appears unavoidable. 

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