On Sunday, Israel targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in south Beirut. Lebanese state media reported intense fighting in the border area, with Israel’s military stating that around 250 projectiles were fired from Hezbollah into Israeli territory, marking one of the highest daily figures since the conflict began.
The heavy exchanges of fire persisted despite an immediate ceasefire call from top EU diplomat Josep Borrell, who visited Lebanon on the same day. The Israeli military noted that Hezbollah’s actions came rapidly after an escalation of air strikes by Israel, which had intensified after September 24, when 350 launches occurred from Lebanon. This escalation marked a shift from nearly a year of limited clashes, transforming the situation into a full-blown war.
While some rockets fired by Hezbollah were intercepted by Israeli air defenses, others caused damage to residential areas in central Israel. Israeli air strikes resulted in significant casualties in Lebanon, with the health ministry reporting at least 84 deaths from a prior wave of Israeli attacks. Classes in Beirut were suspended on Monday for safety reasons due to the ongoing conflict.
Since October 2023, the conflict has reportedly claimed at least 3,754 lives in Lebanon, primarily since September. On the Israeli side, at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians have died during the hostilities.
US special envoy Amos Hochstein suggested that a truce could be close, and Borrell stated during his discussions with Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri that immediate ceasefire and adherence to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 was the only way forward. This resolution had originally aimed to end the last Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006 by limiting armed forces in southern Lebanon.
On Sunday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching missile and drone attacks on targets in southern Israel, including the Ashdod naval base and military sites in the Tel Aviv area. The Israeli military confirmed air raid sirens were activated in multiple areas, resulting in at least 11 injuries in Israel.
In the weeks leading up to this, Israeli strikes targeted central Beirut repeatedly, including a strike that killed Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif. Ground battles also intensified along the border area, where Hezbollah asserted they had destroyed Israeli tanks and engaged Israeli troops.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli airstrikes killed 11 individuals, and a drone strike seriously wounded a hospital chief amidst dire humanitarian circumstances exacerbated by the ongoing conflict. Since the onset of hostilities following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2022, Israeli operations have reportedly resulted in over 44,211 deaths in Gaza, primarily among civilians.
The situation remains volatile as former hostages urge efforts for a resolution and criticism mounts regarding Israel’s handling of the war, highlighted by recent arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court for key Israeli leaders.
