Lebanon witnessed its deadliest day on Monday, September 23, as Israel launched a relentless barrage of airstrikes, killing nearly 500 people, including women and children. This marked the largest Israeli campaign against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group, since the devastating 2006 war. Analysts are calling it a dangerous escalation, with fears of a full-blown war gripping the region.
World leaders are scrambling to prevent further violence, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres voicing his concern that Lebanon might “become another Gaza.” The EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell echoed the sentiment, stating, “We are almost in a full-fledged war.”
The escalation follows a series of escalating incidents that have pushed tensions between Israel and Hezbollah to a boiling point. A week prior to the airstrikes, a series of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members exploded in a coordinated attack, killing and injuring hundreds. While Israel did not claim responsibility, experts believe that the attacks bore the hallmarks of Mossad and the Unit 8200.
On Friday, September 20, Israel flattened a residential building in Dahiya, believed to be a Hezbollah stronghold. The Lebanese health ministry announced that 45 people were killed, while Israel stated it had eliminated “around 10” senior commanders in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force.
The airstrikes continued over the weekend, prompting Hezbollah to retaliate with a barrage of more than 100 missiles, rockets, and drones, striking deep into Israel. This marked the most intense exchange of fire since the start of the conflict last October.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a message to the Lebanese people, sought to deflect blame for the civilian casualties. He stated that Israel’s war was not with the Lebanese people, but with Hezbollah, accusing the group of using civilians as human shields. Netanyahu urged people to evacuate, claiming that Hezbollah was endangering their lives.
In the wake of the airstrikes, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel of seeking a wider war in the region and laying “traps” to draw Iran into the conflict. “They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go,” he said.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden stated that the US was “working to de-escalate the situation” and the Pentagon announced that it was sending “a small number” of additional troops to West Asia as a precautionary measure.
The current crisis has its roots in a long-standing and bloody rivalry between Israel and Hezbollah. The 2006 Lebanon war, which resulted in over 1,000 deaths and significant damage across Lebanon, remains a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of their conflict.
Since the October 7 attacks by Hamas last year, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated significantly. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has been engaging in daily cross-border firing with Israel, claiming its actions are in support of the Palestinian cause.
The situation reached a critical point in July when a rocket struck the Druze Arab town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, killing 12 children. Israel blamed Hezbollah for the attack, which the group denied. In response, Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing Hezbollah’s top commander in the south, Fuad Shukr.
The current escalation has reignited fears of an all-out war. The United Nations’ peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, expressed “grave concern for the safety of civilians in southern Lebanon” and called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Egypt condemned the “dangerous Israeli escalation in Lebanon” and called for diplomacy.
While President Biden has stated that he and other leaders are “working to de-escalate,” it remains unclear whether he will succeed in convincing Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop the airstrikes. For now, peace and stability in the region seem like a distant dream.
