Tensions are heating up 🔥 in the Middle East! On Sunday, Lebanon's Hezbollah movement fired a barrage of rockets at Israel, striking areas near Tel Aviv. 🚀 This came after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Saturday killed at least 29 people.
The Israeli military reported that the rockets hit residential areas, causing houses to be destroyed or set ablaze near Tel Aviv. Police confirmed multiple impact sites in Petah Tikvah, east of Tel Aviv, with several people sustaining minor injuries.
Hezbollah announced it launched precision missiles at two military sites in Tel Aviv and nearby cities in response to the devastating airstrike on Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs.
🔥 The Escalation
According to Israel's military, Hezbollah fired around 250 rockets into Israel. Many were intercepted, but sirens wailed across the country, and at least four people were injured by shrapnel. In the northern city of Nahariya, footage showed a projectile exploding as it hit a building's roof.
Earlier, Israel had warned of targeting Hezbollah facilities in southern Beirut. Subsequent strikes demolished two apartment blocks, with the Israeli Defense Forces stating they aimed at command centers \"deliberately embedded between civilian buildings.\"
💔 Casualties and Responses
Lebanon's health ministry raised the death toll from Saturday's strike to 29, with a total of 84 people killed that day. The overall death toll since October 2023 has reached 3,754.
On Sunday, the Lebanese army reported that an Israeli strike near the southern city of Tyre killed at least one soldier and injured 18 others. The attack caused significant damage to an army center in Al-Amiriya.
Israel expressed regret over the incident, stating it was targeting Hezbollah, not the Lebanese Army.
🕊️ Hope for Ceasefire?
Amidst the chaos, there are glimmers of hope for a ceasefire. U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein made progress in negotiations during his visit to Beirut, followed by meetings with Israeli officials. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell mentioned that a U.S. ceasefire proposal is awaiting Israel's response.
\"We must pressure the Israeli government and maintain the pressure on Hezbollah to accept the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire,\" Borrell stated during his visit to Beirut.
However, reports suggest that while Israel is moving towards an agreement, some issues remain unresolved.
🌍 The Bigger Picture
The conflict has displaced over 1 million people in Lebanon. Israel's offensive aims to secure the return of its citizens evacuated from the north due to Hezbollah's rocket attacks, which started in October 2023 in support of Hamas during the Gaza war.
Diplomatic efforts are focusing on restoring a ceasefire based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the attack on the Lebanese army, stating it \"represents a direct bloody message rejecting all efforts to reach a ceasefire.\"
The European Union has expressed readiness to support the Lebanese army with 200 million euros ($208 million). 🕊️
The situation remains volatile, and the world watches closely as events unfold.
Reference(s):
Hezbollah rockets land near Tel Aviv after Israeli strike on Beirut
cgtn.com
