What happens next for Israel and Hezbollah after new strikes?
Israel And Hezbollah Prepared For War
The smoke rises from towns in Lebanon following attacks by Israeli forces.
Today's back-and-forth of attacks between Israel and Hezbollah seems to be a major increase in tension.
The Israeli army reported that about 100 fighter jets conducted preventive attacks on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Sunday morning. Afterwards, Hezbollah launched rockets and missiles into northern Israel.
If the number of 100 is accurate, it would mark the biggest Israeli assault on Lebanon since the intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
The bombings by Israel occurred at approximately 4:30 am Israel time (1:30 am GMT). Israel claimed that Hezbollah was preparing for a major assault just thirty minutes later, at 5:00 am local time.
As per the New York Times report, citing an unnamed Israeli intelligence officer, it stated that there were rocket attacks on Tel Aviv, the largest city in the country, located in the heart of central Israel.
Finally, Hezbollah confirmed that they had launched over 300 rockets and missiles at military sites in northern Israel. Air raid sirens have been continuously going off in the area.
In the area, many are worried that this recent increase in tension could result in another full-blown war.
Hezbollah announced that this marks the beginning of their retaliation to the Israeli killing of high-ranking commander Fouad Shukr in a targeted attack in Beirut on July 30th.
Many people think Israel was responsible for the killing of Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in a targeted attack in Tehran, Iran.
From that time until now, the area has been anticipating a reaction from both Hezbollah and Iran.
Still to be expected from Iran.
But it seems like this is the first major response from Hezbollah.
An Israeli combat aircraft flying over a region close to the border between Lebanon and Israel
For several weeks, diplomats have been trying to prevent the situation in Gaza from getting worse and spreading to other neighboring areas.
The United States has expressed concern that if Israel and Hamas do not reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages soon, the diplomatic efforts could be unsuccessful.
However, despite strong pressure from the United States, negotiations for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza have not resulted in any progress after over 10 months of conflict.
Israel's army is prepared to engage in combat on both the Gaza Strip and the northern border near Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah is a much stronger force compared to Hamas.
It is believed to have approximately 150,000 rockets, with some having the ability to hit targets throughout Israel.
The individuals in the group, many of whom have experience from fighting in Syria, are highly skilled and have superior equipment compared to Hamas fighters.
After nearly a year of fighting in Gaza, some are wondering if Israel is willing to engage in another war.
Many Israeli army reserve soldiers have been mobilized to participate in the conflict in Gaza, frequently completing multiple tours of duty.
However, a large number of Israelis, particularly individuals residing in the northern part of the country, believe that Hezbollah must be addressed.
Many residents in Gaza have been forced to leave their homes due to the ongoing conflict, resulting in the displacement of a large number of individuals. Additionally, numerous individuals have suffered financial losses as their businesses have been impacted by the war.
In the southern region of Lebanon, many people have had to evacuate their houses due to concerns about potential attacks from Israel.
Hezbollah has announced that it has completed the initial stage of its revenge for the murder of Fouad Shukr.
The attacks on Israel earlier today seemed to have resulted in minimal damage and there have been only a few injuries on both sides.
Israel thinks that it managed to prevent a significant Hezbollah attack.
The question is, will we start to see the usual back-and-forth retaliation across borders that has been happening since the beginning of the Gaza conflict last October?
Or might the current violence escalate into something even more perilous?
Israeli and Hezbollah leaders have expressed their desire to avoid another large-scale conflict. However, they have also stated that they are prepared for such a scenario.
