Israel says it struck Hezbollah sites deep inside Lebanon

The Israeli military says it carried out a series of strikes across Lebanon after blaming Hezbollah for Saturdayโ€™s deadly attack in the occupied Golan Heights. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the Lebanese group had crossed a โ€œred lineโ€, raising fears of regional escalation.

The Israeli military said on Sunday its jets bombed weapons depots and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, in Shabriha and Burj al-Shemali near the southern city of Tyre, and the villages of Kfar Kila, Rab el-Thalathine, Khiam and Tayr Harfa.

Israelโ€™s Foreign Ministry on Sunday blamed Hezbollah for the rocket attack on a football ground that killed 12 people.

โ€œSaturdayโ€™s massacre constitutes the crossing of all red lines by Hezbollah. This is not an army fighting another army, rather it is a terrorist organisation deliberately shooting at civilians,โ€ the ministry said in a statement.

Hezbollah has โ€œcategorically deniedโ€ responsibility for the attack. There have been unconfirmed claims that a failed Israeli interceptor missile may have caused the incident.

Iran, Hezbollahโ€™s regional ally, warned Israel against any โ€œnew adventure concerning Lebanonโ€ using the Majdal Shams incident as an โ€œexcuseโ€.

โ€œAfter 10 months of mass killing in the Gaza Strip and mass murder of Palestinian children and women, the apartheid Israeli regime is trying to distract public opinion and global attention from its wide-ranging crimes in Palestine using a fabricated scenario,โ€ Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement on Sunday, adding that Israel will be responsible for any moves that will further destabilise the region.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated there was โ€œevery indicationโ€ that Hezbollah was behind the rocket strike, renewing Washingtonโ€™s backing for โ€œIsraelโ€™s right to defend its citizens from terrorist attacksโ€.

Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo alongside the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, he said the US does not want to see the conflict escalate following the Majdal Shams incident.

โ€œWe are determined to bring the Gaza conflict to a close. Itโ€™s gone on for far too long. Itโ€™s cost far too many lives. We want to see Israelis, we want to see Palestinians, we want to see Lebanese live free from the threat of conflict and violence,โ€ Blinken continued, adding that the US is maintaining contact with the Israeli government.

In a video message from the site of the attack on Sunday morning, Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi reiterated the claim that an Iranian-made Falaq rocket carrying a 53kg (116 pounds) warhead hit the football field.

โ€œThis is a Hezbollah rocket. And whoever fires such a rocket into an urban area wants to kill civilians, wants to kill children,โ€ he stated, adding that the Israeli military is โ€œincreasing our readiness for the next stage of fighting in the northโ€ as it keeps attacking the Gaza Strip to deadly effect.

He and other commanders met Druze leaders and community members in the area.

The United Nations, the US and the European Union condemned the attack. The UN and the EU urged all parties to exercise โ€œrestraintโ€ to prevent an all-out war, with the 27-member blocโ€™s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calling for an โ€œindependent international investigationโ€.

More than 350 people, including about 100 civilians have been killed in repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the start of the war on Gaza, according to the UN. Israeli officials say more than 30 people, including 10 civilians, have been killed in attacks originating from Lebanon.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has stated a flurry of diplomatic activity is under way to contain an expected Israeli response against Hezbollah.

The United States, France and others were trying to prevent a regional conflict, he said in an interview with local broadcaster al-Jadeed.

โ€œIsrael will escalate in a limited way and Hezbollah will respond in a limited way โ€ฆ These are the assurances weโ€™ve received,โ€ Bou Habib added.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has also announced in a statement that โ€œtalks are ongoing with international, European and Arab sides to protect Lebanon and ward off dangersโ€.

โ€บ Subscribe

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

More Articles