BEIRUT: The Israeli military carried out a series of strikes against Hezbollah positions across Lebanon on Sunday, after blaming the Lebanese group for Saturday’s attack in the occupied Golan Heights, as its foreign ministry said the group had crossed a “red line”, raising fears of regional escalation.
Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple Hezbollah locations, including weapons depots and infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley, and areas near Tyre such as Shabriha and Burj el-Shemali. Additional strikes were reported in the villages of Kafr Lila, Rab el-Thalathine, Khiam, and Tayr Harfa.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Hezbollah of orchestrating the rocket attack that struck a football ground in the Golan Heights on Saturday. “This attack crosses all red lines,” stated the ministry.
Hezbollah has strongly denied responsibility for the Golan Heights attack. There are speculative reports suggesting that a failed Israeli interceptor missile might have inadvertently caused the deadly incident.
Hezbollah’s denial has been supported by Iran, which condemned Israel’s strikes and accused it of using the incident as a pretext to deflect attention from its actions in Gaza. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Nasser Kanaani criticized Israel for attempting to “distract public opinion” from its alleged crimes in Palestine.
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United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking from Tokyo alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, backed Israel’s right to defend itself, affirming that there is strong evidence linking Hezbollah to the rocket attack.
Despite this, Blinken emphasized the need to prevent further escalation, highlighting the US’s commitment to ending the prolonged Gaza conflict. “We want to see a resolution that allows Israelis, Palestinians, and Lebanese to live free from conflict and violence,” he stated.
Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi, in a video message from the site of the attack, condemned the rocket fire as an intentional attempt to target civilians and warned of increased military readiness in northern Israel.
In response to the escalating violence, the United Nations, the European Union, and the US have condemned the rocket attack and urged all parties to exercise restraint. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an “independent international investigation” into the incident.
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The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides. The UN reports that more than 350 people, including around 100 civilians, have died in repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the beginning of the Gaza war.
