Israel intensifies bombing campaign on Lebanon

Lebanon was hit by a deluge of Israeli bombings on Monday that left nearly 500 dead and more than 1,645 injured during the day, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several successive waves of more than 1,300 strikes have fallen on dozens of localities in the south of the country and the Bekaa Valley, designated as targets by Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for the Israeli army. On Monday morning, he claimed, with 3D images to support his claim, that residential buildings in southern Lebanon house Hezbollah missile launch pads. According to him, the Israeli air force destroyed a house in which a Russian DR3 cruise missile was hidden, equipped with an explosive charge of 300 kg and capable of hitting a target located 200 kilometers away. A range sufficient to hit Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. He then ordered residents of southern Lebanon to leave homes where Hezbollah weapons were allegedly hidden.

A few hours later, another ultimatum was addressed specifically to residents of the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon: “ Hezbollah forces the Israeli army to act against its terrorist infrastructure in your villages (…) if you find yourself in or near a house containing Hezbollah weapons, you must leave it and move at least 1 kilometer away within two hours. » On several occasions during the day, the Israeli military released videos indicating that its bombings had hit homes hiding Hezbollah weapons.

The terms used by the Israeli army are similar to those addressed to the Palestinians in Gaza since the beginning of the war, except that this time it is the confrontation with Hezbollah instead of Hamas that is invoked to justify the Israeli raids. The resulting chaos is general. At least two ambulances are targeted. The roads of Lebanon are invaded by people fleeing towards the capital, Mount Lebanon and the North.

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Solidarity is being established

Solidarity is also being organized very quickly. With groups dedicated to welcoming refugees all over the country. As the number of victims continues to rise, anger is brewing. “ The Israeli army spokesman is lying. None of my family has ever been part of Hezbollah. My cousin’s house was hit. He has absolutely no connection to Hezbollah. Neither did we when our house was destroyed (in the summer war of 2006) »testifies Nadim Kobeissi on X.

“ Civilians are being directly targeted. What is happening is very serious and contravenes all humanitarian rules. »complains Kamel Mehanna, head of the collective of Lebanese NGOs who are trying to cope as best they can in a country that is bleeding dry. “ It is clear that the aim of these strikes is to empty the region over several kilometers. »adds the founder of Amel, one of the oldest humanitarian associations in Lebanon, according to whom Israel is practicing a scorched earth policy to obtain “ its buffer zone »By targeting regions populated mainly by Shiites, the community whose representation Hezbollah monopolizes, the strikes aim to weaken the support of its social base for the powerful para-state organization, a few days after a series of attacks that have strongly shaken it.

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Rocket attacks are increasing

A pressure to which Hezbollah does not seem to want to give in at this stage. On Monday, throughout the day, the Islamist militia increased its attacks, targeting regions of Israel that had until then been relatively spared by the war, such as the industrial city of Haifa. For the first time since the start of the war, sirens sounded in Israeli settlements in the northern West Bank.

Security measures remain tight in Israel. On Monday, children stayed home and residents of many northern cities were urged to stay near shelters. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant insisted on following the instructions of the Home Front Command, the military’s civil defense arm. “ In the coming days, the public will have to remain calm and disciplined. »he said. At the end of the day, the toll on the Israeli side remained moderate: a few wounded, a few houses hit by rockets.

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The roar of fighter planes

The airstrike campaign is felt across the country. In the skies above Jerusalem, the roar of fighter jets can be heard day and night. Late Monday afternoon, flanked by his defense minister and the chief of staff of the Israeli army, Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement from an underground command room in the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. “ We have complicated days ahead of us »warned the Israeli Prime Minister, while delivering a firm speech. “ I promised that we would change the balance of power in the North and that is exactly what we are doing. We are destroying thousands of rockets and missiles aimed at Israeli cities and Israeli citizens. »he assured.

The Israeli army chief of staff had already announced that the pace of attacks would accelerate. “ We will allow the residents of northern Israel to return to their homes, in safety. Hezbollah will receive blow after blow until it understands this. »he said Sunday in a video shot on the tarmac of an air base, in front of an F-15 fighter.

As of October 8, 2023, and Hezbollah’s entry into the war alongside Hamas, 60,000 Israelis living in a four-kilometer strip along the border have been evacuated. Over the past week, the Israeli government announced that their return had become an objective of the war, as had the destruction of Hamas’ military capabilities and the return of the hostages. Since then, it has been an escalation. It is feared on both sides, but how far will it go? On Monday evening, Egypt requested the intervention of the UN Security Council and Iraq called for a “urgent meeting” Arab countries for “stop” Israel. The United States is trying to pressure the Jewish state to remain measured. But there is a great risk that the dynamics of the conflict will escape the belligerents.