Yesterday, Lebanon experienced the heaviest airstrike bombardment since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and possibly ever: 1,600 targets were attacked, most of them residential buildings used by Hezbollah to store long-range missiles, rockets, and even cruise missiles and drones. The IDF had warned Lebanese civilians in advance to evacuate sites linked to Hezbollah, yet at least 500 people were killed in the strikes, most of them terrorists.
In addition to these widespread attacks across Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, the Israeli Air Force conducted a targeted strike in Beirut’s Dahiya neighborhood. The target was Ali Karaki, one of the leaders of Hezbollah’s military wing and one of the few top figures who had not yet been eliminated by Israel. As of now, Karaki’s fate—whether killed, injured, or survived—remains unclear.
Hezbollah’s response to this escalation has been surprisingly weak, with fewer than 200 rocket launches toward Israel. However, some of these rockets targeted areas further south than before, with some reaching as far as Ariel in Samaria. Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s defense systems before reaching their targets, resulting in only a few injuries—a minimal toll compared to the damage inflicted on Hezbollah yesterday.
“I want to make Israel’s policy clear: we do not wait for a threat—we preempt it, in every arena, at any place, at any time,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday. “We are not done yet. Whoever tries to harm us, we will strike them even harder… We will change the balance of power in the north.” According to reports, the Chief of Staff named the offensive operation on the Lebanese front this past week ‘Northern Arrows.’
Hezbollah is under increasing pressure domestically, with massive traffic jams seen as Lebanese citizens flee northward, fearing Israel’s military actions. In contrast, there is currently no significant pressure on Israel, and surprisingly, most countries around the world have refrained from officially commenting on the strikes—many are waiting to see how the situation develops. Indeed, the big question remains with Hezbollah: will they risk a war of destruction that could lead to the dismantling of their organization? Or will Nasrallah step back and end the war of attrition with Israel? Either way, the final victory seems poised to be Israel’s.
