Tensions in the Middle East have escalated dramatically as Israeli airstrikes have now moved from Gaza to Lebanon and Yemen. These military operations have resulted in major casualties, including the deaths of various Hezbollah leaders as well as the chief.
The Israeli military has vowed that it will continue targeting Hezbollah's leadership and military capabilities. As Israel continues to intensify its attacks against Hezbollah and Houthi forces in Yemen, the conflict shows no signs of abating, with both sides prepared for continued confrontation.
Israeli airstrike in Beirut city
Early Monday, Lebanon media reported an airstrike in the Kola bridge area of Beirut targeting an apartment building, marking the first to occur within Beirut city limits since the hostilities began last year. The attack resulted in 4 deaths as of now, as per a reports by AFP.
According to Lebanon's health ministry, over 1,000 Lebanese individuals have been killed in the past two weeks. On Sunday, the Israeli attack killed 105 people and injured over 300. The government estimates that around a million people, approximately one-fifth of the population have been displaced due to ongoing airstrikes. Public spaces, such as Zaitunay Bay, have become temporary shelters for families fleeing the airstrikes.
Attack on Houthis in Yemen
On Sunday, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen's Hodeidah port and power plants, citing these actions as a response to recent Houthi missile attacks on Ben Gurion airport. The Houthi-run health ministry reported 4 deaths and 40 injuries from these strikes. The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks on shipping routes and Israel.
The strikes targeted oil infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and Ras Issa, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to 33, according to reports from Al-Masirah TV, which the Houthis control. These airstrikes followed missile attacks by the Houthis on the Tel Aviv area over the weekend, which were intercepted by Israeli air defenses.
The Houthis are an armed group, Shia Muslim armed group backed by Iran, and a political movement in Yemen. They took over Sanaa, Yemen's capital Sanaa in September 2014, and seized control over parts of north Yemen by 2016. Currently, the group controls approximately one-third of Yemen’s territory.
Hezbollah chief and top commanders killed
In just over a week, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and seven high-ranking commanders and officials from the militant group. Israel's military chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, stated, “It [Hezbollah] has lost its head, and we need to keep hitting Hezbollah hard.”
According to a report by news agency Reuters, Hassan Nasrallah's body was recovered from the site of the attack on Sunday. His body had no direct marks of injuries and so it appeared that Nasrallah died due to the blunt trauma from the force of the blast. the report said.
After Nasrallah, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, Nabil Kaouk was also killed in an airstrike on Saturday. He was seen as a potential successor to Nasrallah. Other major members killed in Israeli airstrike include Ibrahim Akil, a top commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces, and Ahmad Wehbe, also a commander of the Radwan Forces, both killed in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
As per a report by The Guardian, the group has also lost leaders of important military units, such as Ali Karaki, head of Hezbollah’s southern front, and Ibrahim Kobeissi, who led the missile unit. Kobeissi was previously implicated in planning attacks against Israeli soldiers. The cumulative impact of these losses raises questions about Hezbollah’s future operational capabilities.
Israel vowed to continue
On Sunday, Israel vowed to keep up its attack. “We need to keep hitting Hezbollah hard,” Israel’s military chief of staff Herzi Halevi said. Israel’s military said it attacked dozens of targets in Lebanon including launchers and weapons stores and had intercepted eight projectiles coming from the direction of Lebanon and the Red Sea. It also claimed that dozens of Israeli aircraft had attacked power stations and ports in Yemen, accusing the Houthis of operating under Iran’s direction and in cooperation with Iraqi militias.
Meanwhile, Gideon Saar, an Israeli opposition lawmaker, who has strongly been opposing Netanyahu for the past few years, rejoined Netanyahu's government on Sunday. According to Israeli media reports, Saar is due to serve as a minister without a portfolio and have a seat in the prime minister’s security cabinet.
