On Thursday (19th September) night, Israel carried out massive airstrikes on terror outfit Hezbollah’s stronghold in Southern Lebanon. As per news agency Reuters, three Lebanese security officials said that these were “the heaviest aerial strikes” since the conflict began in October last year. Notably, Israel and Iran-backed terror outfits Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen-based Houthis have been engaged in intense conflict since 7th October 2023 when thousands of Hamas terrorists carried out attacks from land, air, and sea killing over 1,200 Israeli and foreign nationals.
Dubbing its aerial offensive as pre-emptive strikes, the Israeli military said that fighter jets struck over 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon that were ready to launch immediate attacks on Israel. Several videos showing the extent of destruction caused by the Israeli airstrikes in Southern Lebanon are also doing rounds on the internet.
Hezbollah had a bad night.
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) September 20, 2024
This is Lebanon after massive Israeli strikes. pic.twitter.com/JwJ2hFXnzr
Is it Israel's intelligence service, or is it God's protection exposing terrorists? Just moments ago, Hezbollah had prepared hundreds of rockets from #Lebanon aimed at Israeli civilians, schools, and hospitals. Miraculously, just minutes before the launch, #Israel discovered the… pic.twitter.com/tcNpj3OdTU
— Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) September 19, 2024
The IDF noted that in total, the destroyed Hezbollah launchers and other military infrastructure included around 1,000 launch barrels.
Israeli fighter jets in the last several hours struck over 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon that were primed for immediate attacks on Israel, the military says.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 19, 2024
The IDF says that in total, the launchers included around 1,000 launch barrels.
The strikes began… pic.twitter.com/nHoxC7nRQs
Pls don't think it's a Volcano Eruption. This is Early Dipawali celebration by Israel in Lebanon.
— BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) September 20, 2024
Israeli Air Force struck 100 launchers and destroyed about 100000 shells in Lebanon in just 2 hours in Metula city when Hezbollah Terr0ri$ts were getting ready to attack Israel. pic.twitter.com/dLpcvZmMOQ
According to the IDF, several buildings and a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah were also struck in several areas of southern Lebanon. The latest round of airstrikes began on Thursday afternoon and were carried out in several waves.
The military added, “The IDF continues to damage and degrade the terror capabilities and military infrastructure of the Hezbollah terror organisation.”
Strikingly, Israel has carried out this latest series of airstrikes in Lebanon just days after Hezbollah was rocked by a series of explosions in devices like pagers, walkie-talkies, and solar power systems among others killing at least 37 Hezbollah cadres, injuring and maiming around 3000-4000 operatives of the terror outfit.
Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the large-scale sophisticated explosions across Lebanon and parts of Syria, spanning two days. On Thursday, Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered a televised address in which he alleged that device blasts ‘could be seen as a declaration of war’ and vowed to take revenge on Israel.
He ranted, “We are waiting for you to enter Lebanese territory. We are waiting for your tanks and will see this as a historic opportunity.”
Israel has not taken responsibility for the series of explosions in devices across the Hezbollah stronghold. But, its military has been holding continuous assessments, and presenting plans to its political leadership in the last few days, aimed against Hezbollah.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a situational assessment which he called a “new phase in the war”. Gallant said that the IDF would continue strikes in Lebanon to fulfil the newly officialised war goal of returning displaced northern residents to their homes.
We will bring our communities home. As time goes by, the price paid by Hezbollah will increase. pic.twitter.com/6u6zAfZoUv
— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) September 19, 2024
According to IDF sources, the military was seeking to return displaced Israelis to their homes without causing the conflict with Hezbollah to expand to a regional multi-front war. The IDF expects that the hostilities with Hezbollah could intensify in the coming days.
In the wake of any possible retaliation from Hezbollah, the IDF has published a list of guidelines for its civilians in several communities and cities in northern Israel, asking them to remain close to bomb shelters.
These guidelines have been issued for civilians living in the Merom HaGalil Regional Council, Upper Galilee Regional Council, Mevo’ot HaHermon Regional Council, Yesud HaMa’ala, Hatzor, Rosh Pina, Safed, Metula, and towns in the Golan Heights from Katzrin and northward.
The IDF has asked them to reduce movement outside of homes, avoid large gatherings, guard the entrances to the communities, and remain close to bomb shelters, with the guidelines in place until further notice.
Furthermore, the Israeli defense establishment has made preparations for a possible all-out war with Hezbollah. Incidentally, Hezbollah had recently fired a heavy barrage of rockets from Lebanon on Israel’s northern communities before the Israeli airstrikes.
Head of the Magen David Adom rescue service, Eli Bin told the Ynet news site that he had received reports that an MDA station in Metula suffered a direct hit but there were no injuries reported.
The Mayor of Metual, David Azoulay released a statement claiming “tremendous damage” from rockets that struck a number of homes and sparked fires.
He said, “I haven’t seen anything like it since the start of the war.”
Incidentally, earlier on Thursday (19th September), two IDF soldiers, Maj. (res.) Nael Fwarsy (43) and Sgt. Tomer Keren (20) were killed in Hezbollah missile and drone attacks on northern Israel. Additionally, nine IDF soldiers were also injured in the attacks.
Terror outfit Hezbollah suffered massive blows in the recent past
Over two days on 17th and 18th September 2024, thousands of pagers, walkie-talkies, and other communication devices carried by Hezbollah operatives exploded in Lebanon, killing around 37 persons and injuring thousands. The pagers on Tuesday received a message, overheated, and then exploded, several of the incidents were caught in CCTV cameras. Then on Wednesday, two-way radios exploded in Beirut and other places in southern Lebanon exploded similarly.
It is largely believed that the Israeli agency Mossad is behind the sophisticated attack targeting Hezbollah operatives, even though the Israeli govt has not commented on it.
Nonetheless, Thursday’s Israeli airstrikes and a wave of mysterious explosions are only the latest series of blows that the Lebanon-based terror outfit has suffered in the recent past. A senior Hezbollah terrorist, Fuad Shukr was assassinated in July, back then, Hezbollah had also threatened vengeance. But Hezbollah’s planned retaliation at the end of August was foiled by an IDF. Back then, the Israeli military’s preemptively struck more than 100 strikes across south Lebanon.
