| Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Hezbollah–Israel conflict amidst the Israel–Hamas war, Iran–Israel proxy conflict and Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war | |||||||
 Israel Golan Heights (Israeli-occupied) Areas ordered evacuated by Israel Areas of Lebanon with attested Hezbollah presence Syria See here for a more detailed map. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Hezbollah Amal Movement Islamic Group[1] SSNP-L[2]Islamic Azz Brigades[3]  Iran Syria Hamas[4] PIJ[5] Front for the Liberation of the Golan Islamic Resistance in Iraq[6] |  Israel | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Hassan Nasrallah Naim Qassem Wissam al-Tawil † Ali Hussein Barji † Osama Hamdan Saleh al-Arouri † Mohammad Reza Zahedi † Razi Mousavi † Sadegh Omidzadeh † | Benjamin Netanyahu Yoav Gallant Ori Gordin Alim Abdallah † | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
Lebanese Resistance Brigades[7] Redwan Force[8] Imam Hussein Division[9]Syrian Hezbollah[10] Fajr Forces[1] Eagles of the Whirlwind[2] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps[11] Syrian Army[12] Al-Quds Brigades Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
| |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
529 fighters killed[a]
| Per Israel:  2,000+ casualties[33] | ||||||
72 civilians killed in Lebanon[b][36][37][38][39] 100,000 Lebanese civilians displaced[42] 80,000 Israeli civilians displaced[43] | |||||||
On 8 October 2023, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, taking advantage of the Israel–Hamas war, fired guided rockets and artillery shells at Israeli positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms.[44] Israel retaliated by launching drone strikes and artillery shells at Hezbollah positions near Lebanon's boundary with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The outbreak of the conflict had followed Hezbollah's declaration of support and praise for the Hamas attack on Israel, which took place on 7 October.[45][46] Clashes subsequently escalated to reach other parts of the Israel-Lebanon border and onto Syria and the occupied Golan Heights. It is currently the largest escalation of the Hezbollah–Israel conflict to have occurred since the 2006 Lebanon War.
In northern Israel, the ongoing conflict has forced approximately 96,000 individuals to leave their homes, while in Lebanon, more than 100,000 individuals have been displaced.[47]
Between 21 October 2023 to 20 February 2024 the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) recorded an estimate of 7,948 artillery fired from the south of the blue line (From Lebanon to Israel), while 978 were fired from the north side (from Israel to Lebanon).[48]
Background
Hezbollah is a Shiite militant organization that controls southern Lebanon and is supported and funded by Iran and reportedly serves as their proxy in regional wars.[49] From the inception of Hezbollah to the present[50][51][52][53] the elimination of the state of Israel has been a primary goal for Hezbollah. Hezbollah opposes the government and policies of the State of Israel, and Jewish civilians who arrived following 1948.[54] Its 1985 manifesto reportedly states "our struggle will end only when this entity [Israel] is obliterated. We recognize no treaty with it, no ceasefire, and no peace agreements."[55] Hezbollah has fought many conflicts with Israel including the South Lebanon conflict, the Shebaa Farms conflict, and the 2006 Lebanon War.
The elimination of the state of Israel has been a primary goal for Hezbollah.[56] According to Dr. Joseph Alagha, Hezbollah "only regards the Jews living in Israel as Zionists, who should be killed".[57]
Since the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight, Palestinian refugees have had a presence in southern Lebanon and numerous refugee camps were established, which brought many Palestinian factions into south Lebanon, with it being often used as a center to launch rockets into northern Israel, The Palestine Liberation Organization was based in Lebanon after being expelled from Jordan they were involved in an insurgency until they were expelled to Tunis after the 1982 Lebanon War.[58]
The outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war had followed Hezbollah's declaration of support and praise for the Hamas attack on Israel, which took place on 7 October, in which Palestinian factions in Lebanon immediately took part in.[45][46]
April 2023 skirmishes
On 6 April 2023, in response to the 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes, dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, injuring three Israeli civilians.[59] The Israel Defense Forces said that it intercepted 25 rockets fired from Lebanon,[59] which it said were fired by Palestinian factions Hamas and PIJ with Hezbollah's approval.[60]
The attacks were the largest escalation between the two countries since the 2006 Lebanon War.[60] The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) described the situation as "extremely serious" and urged restraint.[60]
15 July
The IDF fired warning shots and used riot dispersal means at 18 people, including journalists and parliamentarians that crossed the border from Lebanon and walked 80 meters into Israeli-occupied territory.[61]
Events
Shebaa farms attack and response
In the morning of 8 October, Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at the Shebaa Farms region in support of Hamas' attack onto Israel; in response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired artillery shells and a drone into southern Lebanon.[62][63][64] Two Lebanese children were reportedly injured by broken glass.[65]
The next day, Israel exchanged a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon near the towns of Marwahin, Ayta ash Shab[66] and Dhayra in the Bint Jbeil district.[67] This was after numerous Palestinian militants infiltrated the Israeli border.[68] The IDF killed at least two perpetrators (likely Palestinians),[67] while a third returned to Lebanon.[69] A Hezbollah media source announced that one of their members died in the IDF retaliation. Hezbollah denied involvement in the incident, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militia claimed responsibility for the armed infiltration. Hezbollah later announced the death of two other militants at night.[70] Hezbollah fired rockets and artillery in retaliation.[71] During the clashes, two Israeli soldiers and Lt. Col Alim Abdallah, Deputy Commander of the IDF's 300th Brigade, died of wounds inflicted by enemy fire on the border and another three were wounded.[15]
On 11 October, Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at an IDF position and claimed to have produced casualties. In response, the IDF shelled the area where the attack was launched.[72] The Lebanese-Italian hospital in Tyre admitted three injured civilians.[73] The IDF ordered residents of northern Israel to seek shelter following reports of drones being launched from southern Lebanon.[74] A Patriot missile was launched to intercept a suspicious projectile, after which the IDF found that the object in question was not a drone.[75] Warning sirens were activated across northern Israel after reports emerged that up to 20 infiltrators on paragliders had entered Israeli territory from Lebanon, before the IDF dismissed the report as a false alarm.[76]
Escalation
Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said that 'when time comes for any action, we will carry it out' stating that Hezbollah was ready and 'would "contribute" to confrontations against Israel according to its own plan'.[77] The IDF fired artillery into southern Lebanon following an explosion that caused minor damage to a section of the Israel–Lebanon border wall near the kibbutz of Hanita.[78]
The IDF released footage of a drone attack which, according to them, killed three infiltrators from Lebanon near Margaliot who were members of Hamas.[79] One of them was acknowledged by Hezbollah as one of their members. In the afternoon, Hezbollah fired 50 mortar shells and six anti-tank missiles towards five Israeli outposts in the Shebaa Farms.[80] Further IDF shelling killed two civilians in a Shebaa village; video and photographic evidence showed usage of phosphorus bombs.[81]
On 15 October, Hezbollah launched five anti-tank missiles towards northern Israel killing one civilian and injuring three others in Shtula.[82][83] UNIFIL said that their headquarters in Naqoura in southern Lebanon was hit by rocket fire with no casualties reported.[84] Lieutenant Amitai Granot, commander of the 75th Battalion of the IDF's Golan Brigade and son of Rabbi Tamir Granot, was killed in a missile attack on an IDF post bordering Lebanon.[16][17]
Killing of Issam Abdallah
On 13 October, while a group of Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera journalists were transmitting a live video feed of an IDF outpost in Aalma ech Chaab, two tank rounds fired directly hit the group. The first killed Reuters photojournalist Issam Abdallah. The second strike was much more powerful and ignited the Al Jazeera vehicle, a white Toyota, which Al Jazeera journalists Carmen Joukhadar and Elie Brakhya, as well as their AFP colleague Dylan Collins were standing next to.[85] Reuters' photographer Christina Assi was also critically injured.[86][87] Lebanon's army has said the IDF fired the missile that killed Abdallah. Another Reuters reporter at the scene said Abdallah was killed by projectiles fired from the direction of Israel.[88] His last post on Instagram, posted a week before he was killed, was a photograph of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist for Al Jazeera Arabic who had been killed by Israel in 2022.[89][90]
A February 2024 report by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon concluded that an Israeli tank killed Abdallah when it fired at "clearly identifiable journalists", and that this broke international law. The report "assessed that there was no exchange of fire across the Blue Line at the time of the incident", with no records of any exchange of fire across the border for the 40 minutes before the tank firing.[91] The IDF responded to the report by claiming that Hezbollah attacked them, prompting them to retaliate with tank fire.[91]
Further clashes and retaliations
October 2023
On 16 October, Amnesty International reported that the IDF fired white phosphorus shells into Dhayra, hospitalizing nine civilians and setting fire to civilian objects.[92] Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, described the attack as a violation of international law that needed to be investigated as a war crime, and that it "seriously endangered the lives of civilians, many of whom were hospitalized and displaced, and whose homes and cars caught fire".[93]
Lebanese state media reported that Dhayra and other areas along the western section of the border came under "continuous" bombardment overnight.[94] In the early morning it was reported that multiple people were suffering from symptoms of suffocation after the IDF allegedly fired white phosphorus shells on the village.[95] Three people were injured after an anti-tank missile from Lebanon landed in the Israeli town of Metula.[96] The IDF said it had killed four would-be infiltrators along the Lebanese border as they attempted to plant bombs on the border wall.[97] Hezbollah announced that five of its members were killed on the same day but it was unclear if any had involvement in the border infiltration.[98]
On 19 October, the Lebanese army said that one was killed and another injured after a group of seven Iranian journalists were targeted with machine guns by Israel, although Iranian state media denied the claim and said that all its journalists were "alive and healthy".[99][100] UNIFIL peacekeepers said that one person was killed after civilians were caught in a cross-fire at the border in which the Lebanese Army requested assistance by UNIFIL to deescalate the situation. It was requested to Israel to suspend fire "to facilitate the rescue operation".[101][100]
In the early afternoon of 21 October, several rockets were fired from Lebanon toward the Shebaa Farms; there were no injuries. The IDF conducted a drone strike on the team of militants that launched the rockets.[102] A short while later, anti-tank guided missiles were fired from Lebanon toward Margaliot and Hanita; two foreign workers were injured. The IDF conducted airstrikes against the missile teams.[103] In the evening, another anti-tank guided missile was fired from Lebanon toward Bar'am. One IDF soldier was seriously injured and two others were lightly injured. The IDF responded with several airstrikes in southern Lebanon, some of which targeted other missile teams preparing attacks.[104]
The IDF conducted airstrikes against two Syrian military positions on 24 October in southwestern Syria, marking the first time the IDF publicly targeted the Syrian military since the Israel-Gaza war began.[105]
Hezbollah claimed to have attacked 19 IDF military sites with missiles and artillery shells[106] and fired one-way attack drones at an IDF position for the first time since the conflict began.[107]
November 2023
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In his widely awaited first speech since the start of the war in Gaza on 3 November, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the presence of US warships in the Mediterranean "doesn't scare us".[108][109]
On 5 November, Hezbollah shot down an Israeli Elbit Hermes 450 drone over Nabatieh,[110] with wreckage falling over houses in the towns of Zabdin and Harouf.[111] One Israeli civilian was killed when anti-tank missiles hit the Yiftah kibbutz.[112]
Four people were reportedly injured after an Israeli bombing that hit two ambulances.[113] Later, an Israeli airstrike hit two civilian cars in Lebanon carrying members of the same family driving between the towns of Aynata and Aitaroun which killed one women, three of her granddaughters between the ages of 10 and 14, and severely injured her daughter.[114] In response, Hezbollah fired at Kiryat Shmona,[115] killing an Israeli civilian.[116]
The Al-Qassam Brigades took responsibility for firing 16 rockets from Lebanon targeting areas south of Haifa.[117] Meanwhile, Israel reported at least 30 rockets being fired in which the IDF fired back at the sources. Hezbollah and Al-Qassam brigades also conducted four cross-border attacks into northern Israel.[106] Hezbollah deputy general Naim Qassem said that the group could be forced into wider conflict over Israeli attacks in Gaza.[118]
On 10 November, Hezbollah launched anti-tank missiles into an IDF post in Manara which injured three soldiers. The IDF attacked the sources of fire in response.[119] Hezbollah conducted three drone attacks into northern Israel targeting IDF positions and civilians.[120] One drone was intercepted while two others landed on Israeli territory.[121] Seven Hezbollah members were killed during the clashes. The IDF shelled Meiss Ej Jabal Hospital, injuring a doctor. The Lebanese health ministry condemned the attack, saying that "Israeli authorities were fully responsible for this unjustifiable act, which would have led to catastrophic results", and called for an investigation.[122]
The Amal Movement, an ally of Hezbollah, announced that a fighter was killed in a missile attack in the village of Rab El Thalathine which also wounded two other members on 11 November.[123] These were the first casualties from the group since it joined the fighting.[124]
On 12 November, Hezbollah anti-tank missile and mortar attacks killed an employee of the Israel Electric Corporation who was conducting repair work and injured 21 other Israelis, including seven IDF soldiers and six of the fatality's colleagues.[125][126] Hezbollah also claimed to have struck an IDF bulldozer in a separate attack. The IDF said it had launched a drone strike at a militant cell that tried to launch antitank missiles near Metula.[127] Further clashes also killed one Hezbollah member.[80]
Following a Hezbollah strike on 13 November, the IDF responded with heavy shelling across southern Lebanon which reportedly killed two civilians.[128] Unidentified fighters fired anti-tank guided missiles that injured two Israelis near Netu'a.[129] An Israeli rocket struck near journalists in Yaroun, Lebanon, no casualties were reported.[130] Hezbollah condemned the attack, which happened while the journalists were on a public tour in the town.[131] Foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib said that the Lebanese government filed a complaint with the UN Security Council in response to the incident.[132]
On 16 November, Hezbollah conducted eight anti-tank missiles targeting Israeli forces and military infrastructure.[133] In the afternoon, Hezbollah attacked numerous towns near the border and targeted military gatherings in Shtula and Hadab Yaron.[134][135] The IDF responded heavily in southern Lebanon and Israeli warplanes raided Hezbollah targets.[136] Hezbollah announced that two of its members were killed.[137]
Four days later, the IDF base of Biranit suffered heavy damage from a Hezbollah barrage using Burkan rockets.[138] IDF fighter jets struck numerous Hezbollah military targets, and soldiers struck a militant cell near Metula.[139] The historically significant St. George church was heavily damaged in Yaroun after it was shelled by the IDF.[140][141] The house of Amal Movement MP Kabalan Kabalan was also hit with rocket fire.[142] Hezbollah claimed an attack on the IDF's 91st Division barracks at Baranit.[80]
On 21 November, an IDF airstrike in Kafr Kila killed an elderly woman and injured her granddaughter.[143] Another team of journalists were targeted in an IDF strike near Tayr Harfa which killed three people, including two Al Mayadeen journalists, a reporter and a photojournalist, and a guide.[144] On the same day, four members of the Al-Qassam Brigades were killed after an IDF strike on a car near Chaaitiyeh.[145] A Hezbollah member was also killed in a separate attack in Khiam.[146]
Ceasefire
Hezbollah told Al Jazeera that it will "respect" the temporary ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.[147]
After the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on 24 November, Hezbollah stopped its military operations briefly which also prompted the IDF to stop the shelling on targets in southern Lebanon.[148] Many displaced civilians returned to their homes amid the calm.[149] However, during the ceasefire Hezbollah claimed 23 other attacks into northern Israel.[150]
A UNIFIL patrol unit was hit by IDF gunfire in the vicinity of Aitaroun where there were no casualties. UNIFIL condemned the incident and called on parties to be reminded "of their obligations to protect peacekeepers and avoid putting the men and women who are working to restore stability at risk."[151]
December 2023
On 1 December, Hezbollah claimed five attacks into the Israel–Lebanon border.[152] The IDF shelled Hula, killing two civilians,[153] and the village of Jebbayn, killing an additional person.[154] The IDF also struck a Hezbollah site and a Hezbollah cell preparing to carry out an attack near Malkia. Hezbollah announced the death of one of their members, presumably from one of the IDF strikes.[155] The next day, Hezbollah fired several rockets at Israeli army posts along the border. Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery shelling against Hezbollah sites.[156] Hezbollah stated that one of its fighters were killed.[157]
On 3 December, Hezbollah fired one anti-tank guided missile targeting an IDF base in Beit Hillel, injuring 11 Israelis and Global Affairs Canada announced that a Canadian citizen was killed in Lebanon.[158][159]
On 4 December, Hamas announced the creation of a new unit in Lebanon named the "Al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards" and called on "the youth and men of our people to join the vanguard resistance fighters and take part in shaping the future and liberating Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque."[13] This created a negative reaction by many Lebanese politicians as they said that it would be a threat to Lebanon's sovereignty.[13]
One Lebanese soldier was killed and three others were injured by an Israeli attack on a Lebanese Army base in Odaisseh.[160] The IDF later apologized for the incident, saying that it would investigate.[161] A farm worker from Syria, was killed in an Israeli artillery attack on a poultry farm near Arnoun that also injured two of his relatives.[162] Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant met with mayors and local council heads in Nahariya, northern Israel to discuss the threat of Hezbollah to northern residents. Gallant said that if diplomacy fails, Israel will use its military to force Hezbollah north of the Litani River.[163]
On 11 December, the mayor of the southern Lebanese village of Taybeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike.[164] Two other Hezbollah fighters were killed by Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in Aitaroun, and three civilians were injured. Other airstrikes were carried out by the IAF, destroying five houses and damaging 17 others.[100] Four batches of missiles fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, while the Islamic Resistance claimed it attacked several Israeli sites. According to Israeli media, three soldiers were injured.[100] Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias attacked nine Israeli towns and military positions.[165] Israeli war cabinet minister and former defense minister Benny Gantz discussed security in northern Israel in a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Gantz said he conveyed that Hezbollah's heightened aggression and attacks mean that Israel must "remove" the threat from northern Israel. Gantz's statement singled out the Lebanese state, not just Hezbollah, and called for international pressure on Lebanon to stop attacks on its southern border.[100]
The Syrian Social Nationalist Party in Lebanon announced the death of one member of their military wing, the Eagles of the Whirlwind, on 15 December.[2] The IDF said that one in five rockets launched by Hezbollah had landed in Lebanese territory and published an infographic showing failed rocket launches into Israel.[166]
On 16 December, a soldier from the IDF's 129th Battalion was killed by a Hezbollah drone strike near Margaliot, which also caused a fire in a building. Two other soldiers were injured. Another drone was shot down by the IDF, which also responded to the infiltrations by shelling targets. The IAF later hit several Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon, including rocket launch sites and military infrastructure.[167] Hezbollah announced that one of its members was killed.[168]
On 22 December, two IDF soldiers of the 188th Armored Brigade were killed by a Hezbollah rocket attack in the Shtula area.[169]
On the morning of 23 December, IDF aircraft bombed a house in Kfar Kila and intense artillery fire also took place on the outskirts of Deir Mimas[170] The IDF conducted a raid near a UNIFL center along the Khardali river.[171] An Al-Manar cameraman was injured in the eye after an IDF attack on a road in the al-Khardali area where correspondents of MTV and the state-owned National News Agency were also passing.[172] Hezbollah announced that two of their members were killed on that day.[172]
On 24 December, senior IRGC general Razi Mousavi was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Damascus.[173]
On 26 December, a Hezbollah anti-tank missile hit St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Iqrit, northern Israel.[174] A civilian suffered serious injuries, and when IDF responders arrived at the scene, another missile was fired, injuring nine soldiers.[175]
On 30 December, Israeli airstrikes targeted an Iranian arms shipment in the Syrian border city of Abu Kamal, killing 25 Iran-backed militiamen.[176]
January 2024
On 2 January, Israel conducted an airstrike in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut, resulting in the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau, and the death of six other members.[177] Al-Arouri was also responsible for the expansion of Hamas' activities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including attacks on Israelis.[178][179] The assassination occurred one day before Hezbollah commemorated the 4th anniversary of the assassination of senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.[180] On 6 January, Hezbollah launched approximately 40 rockets into northern Israel, describing it as an "initial response" to al-Arouri's killing.[181] According to Israel, the rockets targeted a strategic Airbase near Mount Meron, causing significant damage to it.[182]
On 8 January, Israel assassinated Wissam al-Tawil, the deputy commander of Hezbollah's Redwan Force, whom it accused of carrying out the attack on Meron airbase two days earlier.[183] In response to al-Tawil's killing, Hezbollah launched a drone attack on Israel's Northern Command headquarters in Safed on the following day, situated approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the border.[184] Ali Hussein Barji, the commander of Hezbollah's aerial forces in southern Lebanon who was reportedly responsible for the attack, was killed by an airstrike, according to Israel, alongside three other Hezbollah members, in Khirbet Selm shortly before al-Tawil's funeral began.[185][186] However, Hezbollah denied that Barji was killed.[187]
On 11 January, two Hezbollah-linked search-and-rescue personnel were killed and an unspecified number of civilians were wounded during an Israeli air raid on the town of Hanine.[188]
The IDF said that they killed four militants that infiltrated the Israeli border through Shebaa while an IDF unit was patrolling nearby on 14 January. Five IDF soldiers were wounded.[189] A group calling itself the "Islamic Glory Brigades" later claimed responsibility for the attack and announced that 3 of their members were killed and 2 were able to escape.[190] The same day, two Israeli civilians; a man and his 70-year-old mother, were killed by Hezbollah anti-tank missiles in Kfar Yuval.[191]
On 20 January, Brigadier General Sadegh Omidzadeh, an intelligence officer with the IRGC Quds Force in Syria, along with four other IRGC officers, were reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus.[192][193] According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an Israeli missile strike targeted a four-story building in the Mezzeh district. The attack resulted in the death of thirteen individuals,[194] including five Iranians, and the complete destruction of the building where leaders aligned with Iran were having a meeting.[195] The next day, in southern Lebanon, Sky News Arabic reported that Fadi Suleiman, a senior field commander of Hezbollah, survived an Israeli attack near a military checkpoint in Kafra. His bodyguard was killed in the same attack.[196]
February 2024
Between 3 and 5 February, five Amal Movement militants were killed. Two fighters were killed in airstrikes in Blida and three others were announced that were killed in Bayt Lif.[197][198]
An IDF drone targeted a car in Nabatieh. Israeli media said a regional Hezbollah commander named Abbas al-Dabs, was assassinated in the attack.[199] A day before, two Hezbollah members, including Al-Dabs, were named by Israeli intelligence as reportedly working alongside IRGC officers on building Iranian air defenses in Syria.[200]
On 10 February, an Israeli drone struck a car near Sidon, killing at least two people and wounding two others. An Israeli security source said the target of the strike was Hamas official Basel Saleh, who was "injured to an unknown extent." Saleh was responsible for enlisting new Hamas recruits in Gaza and the West Bank.[201] On 12 February, another assassination attempt took place targeting Hezbollah official Mohammed Abd Al-Rasoul Alawiya in his car in Bint Jbeil.[22]
On 14 February, in the deadliest day of fighting,[202] a barrage of eleven rockets fired from Lebanon struck Safed and an army base in northern Israel, killing an Israeli soldier and injuring eight others. Israel responded with widespread airstrikes against targets belonging to Hezbollah infrastructure in Jabal al-Braij, Kfar Houneh, Kafr Dunin, Aadchit and Souaneh, killing a total of ten people.[203] In Nabatieh, an attack on a residential building killed seven members of a family, including a child. Another attack in the town of al-Suwana killed a woman and her two children.[204] The IDF said that it killed a senior commander of the elite Redwan Force unit along with a deputy and another fighter in Nabatieh which was confirmed by Hezbollah the next day.[205][206] A total of seven Hezbollah members were announced dead from the attacks.[207]
In response to the launch of a UAV toward the Lower Galilee from Lebanese territory on 19 February, Israeli jets targeted Hezbollah militants in Marwahin, two weapons storage facilities near the city of Sidon and Hezbollah infrastructure in the Meiss El Jabal and al-Adisa areas of Lebanon.[208]
On 21 February, an Israeli airstrike on a residential area of Damascus near a fortified compound used by Syrian security forces killed two civilians.[209] On the same day, an Israeli airstrike on the village of Majdal Zoun killed two more civilians, a mother and her child.[210] In addition, Israeli forces struck a Hezbollah observation post in Ramyeh and shelled an area near Aitaroun with artillery to "remove threats." Later on Israeli jets attacked an observation post in Khaim, a military post in Zibqin — from which a missile was fired at Shlomi — and other Hezbollah infrastructure.[211]
On 22 February, after a projectile from Lebanon hit a home in the border town of Yuval, an Israeli drone struck an apartment building in Kfar Remen, killing at least two Hezbollah fighters and wounding three others.[212] The next day, on 23 February, an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah-linked clinic in Bilda killed two civilian paramedics and one Hezbollah fighter and injured an unknown number of people.[213]
On 24 February, sirens sounded in Arab el Aramsha, Hanita, Shebaa Farms and Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel and the Golan Heights due to rocket fire. In response, the IDF struck numerous sites across the areas of Rab El Thalathine, Ayta ash Shab and Blida. Later an Israeli drone identified a Hezbollah cell entering a military compound in southern Lebanon, leading to an Israeli airstrike on the compound. After the attack, secondary explosions took place, implying the presence of weapons in the building. In addition, fighter jets attacked a Redwan unit operational headquarters near the village of Baraachit, as well as launch posts in the area of Jabal Blat, while Israeli artillery struck to neutralize a threat in the area of Rachaya Al Foukhar.[214]
On 26 February, after Hezbollah shot down a Hermes 450 drone with a surface to air missile, Israel launched its first attacks into eastern Lebanon since the conflict began, targeting Hezbollah air defense sites and killing two Hezbollah members near Baalbek.[215][216] Hezbollah said it fired 60 Katyusha rockets at an IDF headquarters in response to the attack.[217] The IDF eliminated a commander in Hezbollah's Nasser Unit who was responsible for multiple attacks into Israel, while driving in his car in Majadel.[218]
March 2024
On 4 March, an Hezbollah anti-tank missile strike on Margaliot resulted in seven injuries as well as the death of an Indian national.[219] The next day, an Israeli airstrike on Hula, in retaliation for the previous day's strike on Margaliot, killed three Lebanese citizens, a married couple and their child.[38] Amongst the three killed, Hezbollah announced two as their members.[220][221]
On 9 March, five people, including three Hezbollah members, were killed and at least nine others were wounded in an IDF strike on a house in Khirbet Selm.[222] In response to the attack next day Hezbollah fired 37 Katyusha rockets at the town of Meron in northern Israel; no injuries were reported.[223][224]
On 12 March, Israeli airstrikes on the town of al-Nabi Shayth in the Beqaa Valley resulted in six injuries and the death of two Hezbollah members.[225]
On 13 March, an Israeli airstrike on a road near Lebanon's Rashidieh refugee camp for Palestinians injured two people and killed two others, namely Hadi Ali Mustafa, the leader of Hamas forces in Lebanon, and a civilian.[226][227] A week later, two Syrian teenagers (aged 17 and 16) were handed over to Lebanese authorities for allegedly spying for Israel. It was reported that they confessed to have been given an equivalent of 11 dollars each by a local mosque servant to unknowingly plant a tracking device in Mustafa's car.[228]
On 27 March, an Israeli airstrike on a paramedic center affiliated with the Islamic Group in Hebbariye killed seven people, whom Israel claimed were militants. The claim was denied by Hezbollah, who said the casualties were rescuers.[229] The victims were later identified as volunteers, and the Lebanese Ministry of Health condemned the strike. In response to the attack, Hezbollah launched around thirty rockets towards northern Israel, killing a factory worker in Kiryat Shmona and lightly wounding another.[230][231] After sunset, Israeli airstrikes were reported in Tayr Harfa and Naqoura, which each killed five and four people respectively. The strikes killed three paramedics; two from the Islamic Health Society and another from the Amal Movement-affiliated Islamic Risala Scout Association. A local commander of the Amal Movement was also killed, along with at least two Hezbollah members.[232]
On 29 March, an Israeli airstrike targeting Aleppo International Airport killed 38 Syrian soldiers, 7 Hezbollah fighters and 7 militiamen,[29] in what became the deadliest Israeli strike on Syria in the past three years.[233] Another airstrike in Bazouriyeh, Lebanon killed Ali Abed Akhsan Naim, the deputy commander of Hezbollah's rocket and missiles unit who the IDF said was responsible for planning attacks against Israeli civilians.[234]
On 30 March, Reuters reported that an Israeli strike had injured three UN observers and a translator who were monitoring hostilities along the Blue Line. Israel denied involvement in the attack.[235]
April 2024
On 1 April, an Israeli airstrike targeting an Iranian consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria killed eight people, including a senior Quds Force commander of the IRGC, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi.[236] The others fatalities included five members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and two Iranian advisors.[237]
On 8 April, Israeli officials confirmed that Hezbollah fighters shot down a Hermes 900 drone, the first of its type lost during the conflict.[238]
On 13 April, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian military, in collaboration with the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthis, launched attacks against Israel with drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.[239]
On 16 April, an Israeli airstrike on two cars near the town of Ain Ebel, in southern Lebanon, killed two Hezbollah members, including regional commander Ismail Baz, and one civilian.[37]
On 17 April, fourteen Israeli soldiers and four civilians were wounded by drones attack in northern Israel. One IDF officer died of wounds days after.[32][240]
On 23 April, an Israeli drone strike deep into Lebanon killed an engineer working for Hezbollah's air defense forces as he was traveling in a vehicle. The strike hit the Abu al-Aswad area near the coastal city of Tyre, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the border. The fighter's vehicle was completely burnt out. The IDF said it had killed "two significant terrorists in Hezbollah's aerial unit", the second being a senior member of the elite Redwan Force, Muhammad Attiya.[241] In response to the attacks, Hezbollah made its deepest incursion into Israeli territory yet by launching drone attacks into the city of Acre targeting two IDF bases.[242]
Casualties and damage
Lebanon
The olive trade in southern Lebanon, which is the main source of income for many, was halted as farmers stopped their harvests in fear of the active shelling.[243][244] According to Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, 40,000 olive trees were burned down by fires caused by IDF shelling.[245] The ministry has also said that 790 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged and 340 thousand farm animals have been lost.[246]
The Institute of International Finance predicted that Lebanon's GDP could decline by one percent by the end of the year and by 30 percent in 2024 in the event of further spillover of the war.[247]
Numerous towns inhabited by Christians in southern Lebanon have been targeted the most by IDF, drawing the population out. The Jerusalem Post claims that Hezbollah intentionally draws fire to the Christian areas.[248] Christians in the town of Rmaich clashed with Hezbollah due to the organization's attempts to establish military infrastructure in the town.[249] A video showing a nun at a Lebanese Christian school asking students to pray for Hezbollah men defending Lebanon went viral; some praised the video while others criticized it.[250]
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 90,000 Lebanese were displaced from their homes. On 5 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, said that around 100,000 were displaced in Lebanon.[251] As of 21 February 2024, the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon reported 914 people wounded.[252] As of 21 March 2024, according to OCHA, 54 Lebanese civilians have been killed including 31 women and children, three journalists and seven Hezbollah-backed rescue workers.[246]
An Israeli artillery strike on 13 October killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and injured six other journalists from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera.[253] Two other journalists from Al Mayadeen were also killed.
At least 200 militants were killed. 157 Hezbollah members, including at least 10 in Syria, 16 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members, one Amal Movement member and one SSNP member. One Lebanese army soldier was killed and three others were injured. [citation needed]
Israel
At least 65,000 civilians were displaced in a mass evacuation from northern Israel. Six Israeli civilians were killed. On 5 November, two Israeli civilians were killed. One was killed when anti-tank missiles hit the Yiftah kibbutz and another in Kiryat Shmona.[112] On 23 November, in Hezbollah's deadliest attack since the start of the clashes, Hezbollah anti-tank missile and mortar attacks killed an employee of the Israel Electric Corporation who was conducting repair work and injured 21 other Israelis, including seven IDF soldiers and six of the fatality's colleagues.[125][126]
In a letter sent on 28 December 2023 to the President of the Security Council from Israel's UN Permanent Representative stated, “attacks have already led to the deaths of 5 civilians and 11 soldiers, and to the injuries of 41 civilians and 127 soldiers”.[48] As of January 2024, more than 500 home in northern Israel have been reported damaged by Hezbollah fire since the war began.[254]
War crimes
Killing of Lebanese civilians
On 5 November, an Israeli airstrike hit a car near Ainata, Lebanon, killing three children and their grandmother, and injuring their mother. The Israeli military admitted to striking the vehicle.[255] Human Rights Watch stated that their killings should be investigated as an apparent war crime.[256] Najib Mikati, Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, called the attack a "heinous crime" and said that Lebanon would file a complaint to the U.N. Security Council.[255]
Killing of an Israeli civilian
The most notable of the attacks was on 12 November where a Hezbollah anti-tank missile killed an employee of the Israel Electric Corporation who was conducting repair work and injured 21 other Israelis, including seven IDF soldiers and six of the fatality's colleagues.[125][126][clarification needed]
Targeting of journalists
According to the Council of Europe, the intentional targeting of journalists constitutes a war crime.[257] During the conflict, Reporters Without Borders claimed that the Israeli army had deliberately targeted journalists.[258][259][260] A Reporters Without Borders (RSF) investigation said that Israel had targeted journalists in missile strikes on 13 October that killed Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah and injured four others. These two Israeli missile strikes, 30 seconds apart, hit a group of seven journalists in southern Lebanon who were reporting on the border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. In a video, the journalists are seen wearing vests and helmets identifying them as "PRESS". The marking was also present on the roof of their car, which exploded after being hit by the second missile.[261] The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, which tests and analyses munitions and weapons, assisted Reuters by examining the material collected at the site of the explosion and found that the piece of metal was the fin of a 120 mm tank round fired 1.34 km away from the border fired from a smoothbore tank gun.[262]
On 26 December, Hezbollah's anti-tank missile hit next to Channel 13 News team while interviewing a farmer at Dovev, in an article following a prior Hezbollah assault that killed a 56-year-old employee of the Israel Electric Corporation, and injured five workers who were repairing electric lines.[263]
Hezbollah's use of human shields
The IDF claims that Hezbollah's weapons and militants are "systematically embedded in civilian areas".[264]
There have also been claims that Hezbollah intentionally draws fire to Christian areas in southern Lebanon.[248] Christians in the town of Rmaich clashed with Hezbollah due to the organization's attempts to establish military infrastructure in the town. The residents also wrote a complaint letter.[249] On March 26, 2024, civilians in Rmeich confronted militants and rang their church bells after Hezbollah attempted to place rocket launchers in the town. Hezbollah denied trying to fire rockets from Rmiesh.[265] A Lebanese Christian from the town of Ain Ebel saw Hezbollah fighters setting up a launcher on his rooftop. After pleading with them, he fled his home with his family and his house was bombed minutes later by IDF airstrike.[266]
On 16 October, 20 rocket launchers were discovered by the Lebanese army in the town of Qlaiaa which have been suspected to be a part of Hezbollah infrastructure.[267] Four reportedly had rockets inside of them and were ready to be fired.[268] They were immediately dismantled by the Lebanese army.[269]
After an attack which killed a Lebanese Army soldier and injured three, the Alma research and education center said that the incident occurred in an area where Hezbollah conducts military operations and designates as a military zone and that Hezbollah has been using this region to launch mortars and rockets and conduct observations towards Israel. The IDF accuses Hezbollah of intentionally placing its activities near Lebanese Army Forces (LAF) posts, using the LAF troops as human shields.[270] Alma also suggests collaboration between some LAF soldiers and Hezbollah, particularly among Shiite soldiers, who make up about 45 percent of the LAF. Alma also released satellite evidence showing Hezbollah military zones operating next to UNIFIL centers and schools.[270]
Between 23 and 25 December, misleading reports emerged on X (Twitter) which portrayed the IDF shelling of the vicinity of the Saint Mamas monastery in Deir Mimas as a direct targeting of a religious site during the Christmas season in which Doha News even reported on and said the incident is "signaling a broader pattern of Israeli aggression against religious sites and civilian sanctuaries".[271] However, the Alma research center showed satellite evidence of Hezbollah's use of the monastery's vicinity to launch attacks and has been doing so since the 2006 Lebanon War.[272][273]
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement has used civilian organizations as a cover-up for there military activities. According to IDF's Arabic spokesman, Avichay Adraee, Hezbollah-run yellow ambulances have been used to transport fighters and weapons. The Islamic Health Authority's website says it has “provided services for the activity of the Hezbollah fighters against the Zionist occupation.”[274] Hezbollah has also reportedly used the environmental NGO Green Without Borders to provide direct cover for Hezbollah's military operations by harassing UN patrols and carrying out missile attacks on Israel, to obstructing UN surveillance cameras at the border with deliberately placed trees.[275]
IDF's use of white phosphorus
On 31 October, after an investigation, Amnesty International stated that an Israeli white phosphorus attack on 16 October was indiscriminate, unlawful, and "must be investigated as a war crime", due to its use on the populated Lebanese town of Dhayra, which injured at least nine civilians.[276][277] On 2 November, Amnesty International stated its investigations into four incidents on October 10, 11, 16 and 17 showed Israel had used white phosphorus munitions.[278] The claim was confirmed by the Washington Post, which identified two white phosphorus shell casings made in the US.[279] In southern Lebanon, Israel's white phosphorus bombs have destroyed over 4.5 million square meters of forest with economic loses being valued at nearly US$20 million.[280]
Targeting of medical and religious sites
The targeting of hospitals, as well as religious sites, constitutes a war crime.[281]
The IDF shelled Meiss Ej Jabal Hospital, injuring a doctor on 10 November. The missiles did not explode but caused damage to the emergency department and a number of cars. The Lebanese health ministry condemned the attack, saying that "Israeli authorities were fully responsible for this unjustifiable act, which would have led to catastrophic results", and called for an investigation.[122] Days before, four people were reportedly injured after an Israeli bombing that hit two ambulances. The Lebanese National News Agency said that an Israeli drone strike hit two ambulances belonging to the Risala Scout association which is affiliated with the Amal Movement[113]
On 26 December 2023, an anti-tank missile shot by Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon damaged a shed in a church compound in Iqrit, but not the church itself.[282] The civilian man who was guarding the church suffered moderate wounds. He is in his 80s.[282] As IDF troops and medical services were working to evacuate him, they were hit by further missiles, which resulted in nine soldiers being wounded, one of them seriously.[283][284]
On 11 January 2024, the IDF conducted strikes in the town of Hanine and targeted an emergency center affiliated with the Hezbollah-backed Islamic Health Authority. The attack killed two workers from the rescue force and destroyed an ambulance.[285] Other attacks on Islamic Health Authority centers occurred in Kafr Kila, Odaisseh and Blida killed 7 paramedic and rescue workers and destroyed 17 ambulances.[286]
On 27 March 2024, an Israeli airstrike targeted a paramedic center affiliated with the Islamic Group in Hebbariye, killing seven volunteer paramedics. The airstrike was condemned by the Lebanese Ministry of Health.[230] Later in the day, Israeli airstrikes in Tayr Harfa killed two paramedics from the Islamic Health Society, while strikes in Naqoura killed one from the Amal Movement-affiliated Islamic Risala Scout Association.[232]
Reactions
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As a result of the fighting, Swiss International Air Lines and Lufthansa suspended flights to Beirut, while Lebanon's flag carrier Middle East Airlines relocated five of its 24 aircraft to Istanbul as a precaution. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom advised against travelling to Lebanon, whilst the British embassy withdrew family members of its staff.[287]
On 4 November, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked prime minister Najib Mikati during a meeting in Amman "in preventing Lebanon from being pulled into a war that the Lebanese people do not want".[288]
French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that France would donate dozens of armoured vehicles to the Lebanese military to help it carry out patrol missions.[289]
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed concern about Israel's role in ongoing tensions with Lebanon.[290]
Lebanon
After the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion in Gaza, pro-Palestinian protestors took part in riots in the towns of Dbayeh and Aoukar. Businesses were vandalized and torched.[291]
On 6 November, in response to the killing of four civilians in southern Lebanon, Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that his government would submit an urgent complaint to the UN Security Council against Israel saying that its "targeting of civilians in its aggression against Lebanon" was a "heinous crime".[292]
Opposition to Hezbollah and Hamas
The most important thing is not to involve the Lebanese in anything that they cannot deal with, in light of the difficult situation they are experiencing.
7 October 2023[293]
As tensions heightened on 8 October near the Lebanese border, former prime minister Fouad Siniora stressed that Lebanon should not be involved "in any hostilities with the Israeli enemy".[294]
Between 7–9 October, many politicians of long established Christian parties in Lebanon took a stance against Hezbollah's involvement as well. Pierre Bou Assi, a member of the Lebanese Forces' Strong Republic bloc highlighted the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers which led to the 2006 Lebanon war saying, "Hassan Nasrallah promised, in early July, that the summer would be quiet and thriving—but a few days later, Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and the July war broke out".[294] The Kataeb Party took a similar stance and condemned the use of Lebanese territory by non-state actors for launching attacks on Israel.[294]
Screens at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport were hacked allegedly by the Christian group Jnoud al-Rab to display an anti-Hezbollah message. Jnoud al-Rab denied any involvement.[295]
On 28 January 2024, Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, Maronite Patriarch and head of the Maronite Church, stated that residents of southern Lebanon refuse to be used as "sacrificial lambs" in what he described as a "culture of death", implicitly referencing Hezbollah's border activities. He described the hardships faced by the people, including psychological strain and disrupted education for children, and said they refuse to be hostages or human shields.[296]
On 4 December 2023, Hamas announced the organization's official establishment in Lebanon. The Lebanon-based unit was named the “al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards unit”.[297][298] The establishment of the Vanguards during the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel faced severe criticism from various political figures and factions within Lebanon. Many argued that such an organization, with potential military implications, could infringe upon Lebanon's sovereignty and violate international resolutions, particularly the Taif Agreement. Critics, including members of the Christian Lebanese Forces Party and other political figures, voiced concerns about a potential recurrence of historical issues related to armed Palestinian factions operating from Lebanese territory.[298][13]
Iraq
On 9 January, the Kata'ib Hezbollah spokesperson Jafar al-Husseini warned that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq would help Hezbollah fight Israel if war erupted between the two sides.[299] This statement was a few weeks after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a Karish rig which Lebanon claims to hold sovereignty to.[300]
Other incidents
On 8 November 2023, two men were arrested by Brazilian police in São Paulo following a warning from the Mossad that Hezbollah was planning an attack against the country's Jewish community. Searches were also conducted in Brasilia and Minas Gerais in connection with the alleged plot.[301]
Humanitarian response
The Lebanon Humanitarian Fund launched its reserve allocation that includes up to four million dollars to support its partners to help aid those who have been displaced or still in conflict zones.[302]