BEIRUT: Israel intensified its ground offensive against Hezbollah on Tuesday along Lebanon’s southern coast, deploying more troops and warning civilians near the Mediterranean region to immediately evacuate.
Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at the Israeli city of Haifa, after the Israeli military reported 85 projectiles had crossed into its territory from Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vowed to continue the war until Hezbollah and Hamas are defeated.
The conflict has escalated nearly a year after Hezbollah opened a front in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Since October 2023, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza against Hamas.
Hezbollah’s deputy chief, Naim Qassem, reiterated the group’s defiance on Tuesday, vowing to make it impossible for Israelis to return to the north, despite Israel’s military operations.
Qassem also claimed Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities remain intact, despite sustained Israeli airstrikes since September 23. The Israeli strikes have reportedly killed over 1,100 people and displaced more than a million in Lebanon.
Israel’s latest offensive has mainly targeted southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as southern Beirut. The Israeli military warned civilians along the southern Lebanese coast to evacuate.
In southwestern Lebanon, Israel’s 146th Division has begun what the military described on its Telegram channel as “localised, operational activities”. This follows warnings that Israel would operate in the maritime area south of the Al-Awali river.
In the coastal city of Sidon, daily life has been severely disrupted. Fishermen, fearful of the worsening situation, stayed ashore. “Fishing was the way we supported our children. If we don’t go out to sea, we won’t be able to feed ourselves,” said fisherman Issam Haboush.
Israel also launched another wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut, where a strike last month killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Despite these losses, Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah remains organized and committed to the fight, even as he voiced support for Lebanon’s efforts to secure a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Israel continued relentless bombardments in Gaza. According to the territory’s health ministry, at least 41,965 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign since October 7.
The prolonged conflict has left large parts of Gaza in ruins, with nearly all of its 2.4 million residents displaced. Amid relentless Israeli bombardments, the civilian toll continues to climb, with 17 more people killed on Tuesday in an Israeli strike on a refugee camp in central Gaza.
