Hezbollah Provocations Push Israel to Implement Strict Defensive Measures

Hezbollah Provocations Push Israel to Implement Strict Defensive Measures
It seems Hezbollah continues to endanger the lives of Lebanese civilians by using residential areas as platforms for launching rockets, disregarding the serious consequences of its repeated provocatio
September 21, 2024, 10:05 pm

الجيش الإسرائيلي \ تعبيرية \ متداول

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that restrictions were imposed on gatherings from the northern city of Haifa to the Lebanese border, in anticipation of a potential Hezbollah response to the Israeli strike that targeted the group's leaders in Beirut on Friday.

The IDF reported that "dozens" of warplanes are conducting "extensive airstrikes" against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, amid heightened tensions that raise concerns of an all-out war due to the group's reckless actions.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated, "In the past hour, we have been conducting wide-scale airstrikes in southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah’s preparations to launch rocket barrages into Israeli territory." He added, "Dozens of warplanes are attacking terrorist targets and rocket-launching platforms."

Earlier on Saturday, the IDF reported that Hezbollah had fired around 90 rockets from Lebanon toward Israel, prompting a series of Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon and the western Beqaa region in self-defense.

A correspondent for Al Arabiya and Al Hadath channels confirmed that the number of Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon had exceeded 70, while Israeli media reported that the air force conducted 100 airstrikes on areas in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions that use civilian areas as human shields.

The IDF has issued instructions for residents of Safed and northern Golan to remain near shelters, while Al Arabiya and Al Hadath’s correspondent reported that 25 rockets were launched from southern Lebanon toward Israel, some of which caused fires. This demonstrates Hezbollah's disregard for civilian lives on both sides.

In a new provocative move, Hezbollah announced on Saturday that it had bombed two military outposts in northern Israel "with Katyusha rockets," ignoring the severe consequences of its actions on the Lebanese people.

The IDF also decided on Saturday to close the airspace in northern regions of the country for 24 hours due to the security tensions caused by Hezbollah’s irresponsible actions. Israeli Army Radio explained that the decision aimed to "reduce the risk of the air defense system mistakenly identifying Israeli planes as hostile and intercepting them."

Since October 8, Hezbollah, along with other Lebanese and Palestinian factions in Lebanon, has been provoking Israel with daily shelling across the "Blue Line," leading to hundreds of deaths and injuries, most of them on the Lebanese side. Despite this, Hezbollah continues to escalate the tension, putting Lebanon at risk of a full-scale war, which could have devastating consequences for the entire region.

Levant - Agencies

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