Rising Tensions and Cross-Border Attacks
Hezbollah has launched dozens of rockets at the Golan Heights, which is occupied by Israel, in response to recent Israeli airstrikes deep inside Lebanon. The escalation follows a series of intense exchanges between the two parties, raising concerns about a potential wider conflict in the region.
The Israeli military reported that its aircraft targeted Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the Bekaa Valley overnight. The Lebanese Health Ministry stated that the airstrikes resulted in one death and 30 injuries. In retaliation, Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, claimed responsibility for a rocket barrage aimed at Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights. Israeli authorities confirmed that two homes were struck, and one individual sustained injuries.
Fatah Accusations and Escalating Violence
Amid the conflict, the Palestinian Fatah movement has accused Israel of assassinating a senior member of its armed wing in Lebanon. Fatah claims that this action is part of an effort to provoke a broader regional conflict. The Israeli military confirmed the killing of Khalil al-Makdah in a strike in Sidon, a southern port city in Lebanon. The military stated that al-Makdah was operating on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and was involved in directing attacks and smuggling weapons to the West Bank.
This incident marks the first reported strike on a Fatah member since the onset of the Gaza war, which has already led to increased hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Tensions have been high following the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut by Israel, who was blamed for a rocket attack that killed 12 children.
Casualties and Displacement
The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties and displacement on both sides of the border. To date, more than 530 people have been reported killed in Lebanon, including at least 130 civilians. In Israel, 49 people have been killed, with 26 being civilians. Nearly 200,000 individuals have been displaced due to the violence on both sides of the border.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant indicated that the focus of the military operations is shifting from Gaza to the Lebanese border. He described the attacks on munitions warehouses in Lebanon as preparation for potential future events.
Latest Developments
On Wednesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that its jets had struck several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the northern Bekaa Valley, a known stronghold of the group. The IDF also targeted a compound used for air defense and a Hezbollah fighter in the southern border village of Beit Lif.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the airstrikes in the Bekaa region resulted in one death and that nine children were among the 30 injured. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) identified the targeted areas as the outskirts of Bodai, the region between Saraain and Safri, and Nabi Chit. The Health Ministry also reported a fatality in Beit Lif, with Hezbollah confirming the death of a fighter named Hussein Mostafa.
Hezbollah’s Retaliation
In response to the strikes, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets at an IDF logistics base in the Golan Heights. The IDF reported that approximately 50 projectiles were launched from Lebanon, with some falling in the settlement of Katzrin. A 30-year-old man was moderately wounded by shrapnel when a rocket hit his home and set it on fire. Brigadier General Alon Friedman, deputy commander of the IDF’s Northern Command, accused Hezbollah of deliberately targeting the 8,000 civilians residing in Katzrin.
Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for a separate drone attack on Israeli military bases and warehouses in Amiad, a kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee. The IDF reported that some of the drones fell in the area but did not cause any casualties.
Assassination of Fatah Member
Later on Wednesday, an Israeli drone strike resulted in the death of Khalil al-Makdah, a senior member of Fatah, as he was driving through Sidon’s Villas area. Fatah’s armed wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, confirmed his death and described him as a key leader in the West Bank.
Tawfiq Tirawy, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee based in Ramallah, stated that the assassination of al-Makdah is further evidence of Israel’s intentions to provoke a full-scale war in the region. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer responded by saying that the IDF had compiled a comprehensive list of al-Makdah’s alleged crimes.
Israeli and ISA Statement
A joint statement from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) alleged that Khalil and Mounir al-Makdah collaborated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. They were accused of directing terror attacks and smuggling weapons and funds into the West Bank for terrorist activities. The IDF and ISA pledged to continue monitoring and disrupting activities that threaten the safety of Israel and its citizens, focusing on Iranian attempts to conduct terrorist activities.
