Israel has launched a campaign of airstrikes it says are targeting Hezbollah members in Lebanon, killing at least 492 people and injuring 1,600 others.
It’s an escalation of tensions on Israel’s border with Lebanon, where strikes have ramped up since Hamas’ attacks on Israel on 7 October. Israel says Hezbollah has fired more than 8,000 rockets since that time.
A spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General said he’s “gravely alarmed” by the latest outbreak of violence.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah is derived from the Arabic term ‘Hizb Allah’, which translates to ‘Party of God’. It was established after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, as it was grappling with a civil war.
Hezbollah is based in Lebanon and receives funding and training from Iran. Australia lists the group as a terrorist organisation. Hezbollah’s manifesto (public declaration) calls for the destruction of Israel.
Israel officially withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. At the time, the United Nations drew up a “provisional” border between the two countries called the Blue Line. It’s monitored by UN peacekeeping forces.
Shortly after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on 7 October, Hezbollah started regularly launching missiles and rockets at Israel.
The UN says 200,000 people have been displaced by the cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah.
Last week, walkie-talkies and pagers exploded across Lebanon, killing civilians and Hezbollah members. The group blamed Israel and escalated rocket attacks on Israel in response.
Latest strikes
In the last 24 hours, the Israel launched a round of airstrikes it said were “proactive and extensive”, targeting Hezbollah militants and bases. It told civilians in villages in Lebanon’s south and east to leave.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) claimed to have located massive rockets and cruise missiles stored in people’s homes in small towns across Lebanon. The IDF said it hit 1,600 Hezbollah targets.
Hezbollah responded by launching dozens of missiles at Israel.
The airstrikes were preceded by warnings of an imminent attack by the Israeli army, which prompted a mass evacuation of Lebanese civilians from the capital Beirut and southern towns.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the strikes have killed at least 492 people, including 24 children. The death toll is expected to climb.
At least 1,600 others have been injured.
Authorities have not confirmed how many of those who were killed had been members of Hezbollah.
Israel’s remarks
Shortly after the strikes began, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement addressing the Lebanese people, saying: “Israel’s war is not with you. It’s with Hezbollah.”
Netanyahu said the purpose of the strikes was to destroy “thousands of missiles and rockets that are directed at Israel’s cities”.
Recently, the Israeli government updated its war objectives to include “returning the residents of the north [of Israel] securely to their homes”.
Reaction
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he is “gravely alarmed by the escalating situation along the Blue Line and the large number of civilian casualties, including children and women”, calling for both sides to “restore stability.”
Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said she’s “deeply concerned” about the escalation in the region and the “loss of civilian life”.
U.S.
The U.S. is sending forces to the region in response to the “increased tension”.
A Department of Defense spokesperson told reporters there would be a “small number of additional U.S. military personnel” sent to the region, without providing further details.
President Joe Biden said U.S. officials are “working to de-escalate in a way that allows [civilians] to return to their home safely.”
