Israel Airstrikes Hezbollah Intelligence Headquarters... Lebanon Front Expansion Expected

On the fourth day of its ground operation against the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, Israel intensified pressure by airstriking Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut on the 3rd (local time). It also declared an expansion of the operational area by imposing evacuation orders on 25 villages, including Nabatieh, the largest city in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah responded by attacking an Israeli military supply base in northern Haifa with rockets.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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The Israeli military stated that "according to intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate, air force fighter jets struck Hezbollah facilities involved in intelligence operations." Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut directs Hezbollah's intelligence activities and coordinates strategic intelligence gathering. Major foreign media outlets, including CNN, reported multiple loud explosions in western Beirut due to several Israeli airstrikes, with huge columns of smoke rising in the southern suburbs. Additionally, the Israeli military announced that it had killed several key Hezbollah commanders, including the combat area commander, by airstriking military facilities in southern Lebanon.

Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, said in a video message, "We have decided to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure and kill everyone there. We will not allow Hezbollah to establish itself in this area," indicating continued attacks targeting key Hezbollah objectives. He emphasized, "The Israeli military is better prepared and trained than ever before based on operational experience in the Gaza Strip," and added, "We have a clear advantage on the battlefield."

On the same day, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders to residents of 25 villages in southern Lebanon, signaling an expansion of the operational area. Local media reported that this evacuation order included not only Nabatieh, the largest city in southern Lebanon, but also villages north of the Litani River for the first time. Currently, evacuation orders have been issued for a total of 77 villages in southern Lebanon. CNN noted, "The operation is expanding deeper into Lebanon." The New York Times (NYT) warned, "This is above the Litani River, the upper limit of the buffer zone set by the United Nations (UN) after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah," and said, "This evacuation order signals a possible expansion of Israel's ground operations."

Emily Trip, Director of Airwars in the UK, told CNN that Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon are proceeding with an intensity comparable to the first weeks of last year's Gaza Strip attacks, raising concerns about civilian casualties. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that 1,974 people have died and 9,384 have been injured due to Israeli attacks so far. Over the past three days, 40 firefighters and paramedics have died across Lebanon. On this day, one member of the Lebanese government forces died in Taybeh, Lebanon, while escorting the Red Cross. This is the first death of a Lebanese government soldier, not a Hezbollah member, since Israeli forces entered the Lebanese border and launched ground operations on the 30th of last month.

Hezbollah has also launched counterattacks. On the morning of the same day, Hezbollah announced that it repelled Israeli forces attempting to cross the border through the Fatima checkpoint in southern Lebanon with artillery fire. Additionally, it fired more rockets targeting Israeli northern settlements and military outposts. Hezbollah emphasized, "This attack supports Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and is a response to Israel's brutal aggression." The Israeli military confirmed that about 100 projectiles were launched from Lebanon over several hours starting at 4 p.m. that day. The number of Israeli soldiers killed in the ground operation against Hezbollah has risen to at least nine.

The U.S. State Department stated that it is uncertain how long Israel's ground operation in Lebanon will last. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said at a briefing, "We don't know what will happen," and explained, "We are monitoring the situation and evaluating it in real time."

Currently, Israel has also threatened retaliation against Iran, which previously launched ballistic missile attacks on Israel. Regarding this, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on the same day that when asked if he supports Israel striking Iran's oil facilities, "We are in discussion about that. I think that is somewhat..." When asked if Israel is allowed to retaliate against Iran, he said, "We are not authorizing Israel; we are advising them," and added, "Nothing will happen today (the 3rd)." Among experts, there is analysis that Israel, which has long been deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear weapons capability, may use this opportunity to intensify attacks targeting Iran's nuclear facilities.

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