Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire on the Lebanese border, with more than 150,000 people on both sides of the border. Forced to flee their homesBut the intensity of the attacks has increased in recent days. Leading to fears of total war In another aspect.
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened further military action to ensure Civilians in northern Israeli communitiesHere are some key questions about the conflict and where it might be headed:
Why did the two sides fight?
Hezbollah Powerful Lebanese militias and political movementsHezbollah launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 8, responding to Hamas’ call for a second front, a day after the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza launched a deadly attack on Israel. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group was trying to pin Israeli forces to the border and limit its ability to attack Hamas in Gaza.
Hezbollah’s conflict with Israel dates back decades. Israel has invaded Lebanon three times in the past 50 years, most recently in 2006 when the two sides fought a war. A month-long war The current round of fighting marks the most serious escalation since a war that killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and more than 150 in Israel, mostly soldiers.
Israel launched the The deepest blow Israel has been trying to move into Lebanon for years, including launching an attack on the Bekaa Valley in retaliation for an Israeli surface-to-air missile attack in southern Lebanon that shot down an Israeli drone.
In April, Hezbollah launched Drone and missile attacks 14 soldiers were wounded and one was killed in an attack in northern Israel. Later that month, the group claimed to have launched The Deepest Attack Since October last year, Israel has been using drones to attack a military camp north of the city of Acre.
In recent weeks, Hezbollah has for the first time begun targeting Israel’s proud Iron Dome missile defense system.
Hezbollah rocket attacks this week caused forest fires in northern Israel, prompting Netanyahu to threaten on Wednesday that “very severe action” would be taken to “restore security in the north.”
How much damage has the conflict caused so far?
The attacks on the border have caused casualties on both sides. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said more than 300 fighters were killed, while the United Nations said about 80 civilians died. In Israel, authorities said 19 security personnel and at least eight civilians were killed.
Several senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials have also been assassinated in Lebanon. A senior Hamas official, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed in a suspected Israeli attack outside Beirut in January. Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force Killed in southern Lebanon the same month.
Israeli authorities have ordered the evacuation 60,000 civilians in border areasIn Lebanon, more than 90,000 people have fled their homes.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said he is determined to push Hezbollah back from the border and allow Displaced Israelis His return is a key issue in domestic politics, and analysts say pressure from allies in the far-right League could push him to launch a wider attack.
However, Hezbollah has thousands of fighters and a large arsenal of rockets capable of striking infrastructure and cities across Israel, and with Israeli forces still fighting Hamas in Gaza, any invasion of Lebanon would likely be costly.
War would also devastate Lebanon, which is mired in political deadlock and A historic economic collapseDuring the 2006 war, Israeli attacks flattened large swathes of Beirut and displaced nearly a million people.
Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said this week that the armed group does not seek to expand the conflict but will go to war if attacked. The Biden administration has sought to prevent a wider regional war and keep the Both sides have their own opinionsBut Hezbollah says it will not negotiate until the Gaza war ends.
