Bansri Shah, Pune
On October 3, 2024, Israeli airstrikes targeted central Beirut, causing at least six fatalities and eight people wounded. The assault resulted in Lebanon’s northern border defenses suffering their deadliest day of clashes in a year waged against Hezbollah, an armed group supported by Iran.
Janine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Coordinator of the United Nations in Lebanon said that it is impossible to escape from “anxiety and fear” in the city after yet another night of Israeli bombardments that targeted central Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
The forces of Israel claim that they have shot down two drones that were launched from Lebanon as well as intercepted some rockets. One drone was brought down south of the city of Nahariya located in the northern region of Israel, while another drone targeted an uninhabited area and did not result in any casualties. The military reported that approximately 25 rockets were launched from Lebanese territory; some of them landed, some of them were intercepted. The statement did not touch on whether the assaults resulted in any fatalities.
Al Jazeera’s defense editor, Alex Gatopoulos, explained that the missile and drone capabilities of Iran, air defense systems provided by Israel to counter the missiles, in the wake of Tuesday’s attack. As reported by the Missile Defense Project of the Center for Strategic International Studies, a US think tank, Iran boasts of at least a dozen types of medium and short range ballistic missiles.
Different media sources are discussing the meaning of the forthcoming military operation, debating whether this would be a ground “incursion” or a full-blown “invasion”. However, according to the media, the connotations of the attack will only be understood as the days and weeks progress.
Amongst the recent rise in the attacks against Hezbollah was the death of the Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who died due to an Israeli airstrike on September 27. The attack targeted the militant organization’s base of operations in Dahieyya, a suburb of Beirut known as the center of Hezbollah, thereby increasing tensions in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. There will be a funeral ceremony for the general facts of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. The death of Nasrallah-styled leader of the group triggered massive protests in many parts of Iraq, including in the capital Baghdad which was awash with protestors.