Oct 9, 2024 – Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that its fighters repelled Israeli troops during clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border. This development followed Israel’s claims of killing two potential successors to the Iran-backed militant group’s deceased leader.
For the past year, Hezbollah has launched rockets at Israel amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, with ground clashes now intensifying along the mountainous border. The group reported firing multiple salvos at Israeli forces near the village of Labbouneh, successfully pushing back troops. Further east, they engaged Israeli soldiers in Maroun el-Ras and targeted advancing forces near the border villages of Mays al-Jabal and Mouhaybib.
Amid heavy fire from Lebanon, sirens blared across northern Israel, including in the major port city of Haifa. Israeli military reports indicated approximately 40 projectiles were launched in one barrage at Haifa, with some intercepted while others landed in the vicinity. Local ambulance services reported two fatalities from strikes in Kiryat Shmona and at least six injuries in Haifa.
In retaliation, Israel conducted airstrikes, targeting locations well beyond the border area. The Lebanese health ministry stated that four people were killed and ten injured in a strike on Wardaniyeh, north of Sidon.
The escalation in Lebanon, following a year of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, has heightened concerns of a broader Middle Eastern conflict involving Iran and the United States. Israel has recently intensified its military operations, conducting a series of targeted assassinations of key Hezbollah leaders and expanding ground activities in southern Lebanon.
Israeli officials claimed that forces from four divisions have been operating inside Lebanon since announcing the ground operation on October 1. However, they have not confirmed establishing a permanent presence there. Israel’s bombardment has resulted in over 2,100 deaths in Lebanon, most occurring in the past two weeks, while displacing 1.2 million residents. The Israeli government stated that its military actions are necessary to allow tens of thousands of Israelis to return to their homes, previously evacuated due to Hezbollah’s rocket fire.
In Beirut, burn victims from Israeli strikes are being treated at the only specialized unit for severe injuries in the country. Reports emerged of one Lebanese soldier, Mahmoud Dhaiwi, who was injured while off duty. His car was hit by an Israeli strike, resulting in severe burns across his body.
Overnight, Israel targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, claiming to have killed Suhail Hussein Husseini, responsible for Hezbollah’s logistics and budgeting. Many residents have abandoned this densely populated area following Israeli evacuation warnings, leading to fears of a similar fate as Gaza.
Hezbollah and Hamas are part of Iran’s network of allied armed groups across the region, and the recent Israeli actions have significantly impacted Iranian operations. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Esmail Qaani, a senior commander of Iran’s Quds Force, remains unharmed and will be honoured soon, despite reports of his absence since the recent bombings.
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to discuss the situation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly regarding potential retaliation against Iran for a missile strike last week. The Middle East remains tense as both sides await Israel’s response to Iran’s recent escalation.
Netanyahu stated that Israeli airstrikes had eliminated two successors to Hezbollah’s late leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli attack on September 27. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant indicated that Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor, had likely been “eliminated” as he has not been heard from since the last major airstrike.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem noted that the group supports Lebanon’s parliament speaker in seeking a ceasefire, though he omitted a prior condition for a truce in Gaza to precede any ceasefire with Israel. Netanyahu’s office has yet to respond to these remarks.
