The military chief of Israel informed troops that airstrikes in Lebanon would persist to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and prepare for a potential ground operation by Israeli forces.
As he made this statement, sources indicated that the United States had initiated a diplomatic effort to halt the conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon, with proposals being discussed at the UN General Assembly in New York.
US President Joe Biden mentioned during an interview with ABC television that while an all-out war was conceivable, he added: “We’re still in play to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region.”
Israel expanded its airstrikes on Lebanon and intercepted a missile reportedly fired by Hezbollah, aimed at the Mossad intelligence agency’s headquarters near Tel Aviv.
“You can hear the jets flying overhead; we have been conducting strikes all day,” General Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops stationed at the border with Lebanon, as stated in a military announcement.
“This serves to prepare the ground for your possible entry and continues to degrade Hezbollah.”
Global leaders expressed their worries about the conflict, which is progressing alongside Israel’s war in Gaza, as the death toll in Lebanon increased and thousands evacuated their homes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US and its allies were tirelessly striving to prevent a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has pledged to persist until the conflict in Gaza ends.
According to two Lebanese officials, two Western diplomats, a source acquainted with Hezbollah’s perspective, and a source briefed on the talks, all of whom chose to remain anonymous, the US is spearheading a new diplomatic initiative that includes addressing both conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon for the first time.
Ceasefire proposals
Three Israeli sources reported that the US and France were collaborating on ceasefire proposals to alleviate the escalating violence in Lebanon, which Hezbollah instigated in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza; however, no significant progress has been made thus far.
“The risk of escalation in the region is critical… The best response is diplomacy, and our coordinated efforts are essential to prevent further escalation,” Mr. Blinken remarked during a meeting with officials from Gulf Arab states and ministers in New York.
This week, Israeli airstrikes primarily focused on Hezbollah leaders and struck hundreds of locations deep within Lebanon, while the group launched numerous rocket barrages into Israel, prompting hundreds of thousands to flee the border area.
Emergency responders are seen at the scene of an overnight Israeli strike in the Lebanese village of Akbiyeh.
Israel reported that its warplanes targeted southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, a stronghold of Hezbollah located further north, and announced the mobilization of two additional reserve brigades for operations along the northern border.
“This will enable the ongoing combat against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, safeguard the State of Israel, and create conditions for the residents of northern Israel to return to their homes,” the statement read.
In a brief video message, which did not address US-led initiatives for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hezbollah was facing more severe consequences than it could have anticipated and reiterated his commitment to repatriate tens of thousands of Israelis to their homes in the northern border regions.
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Since Monday, Lebanese hospitals have been inundated with the injured, following Israeli bombings that resulted in more than 550 fatalities in Lebanon’s deadliest day since the end of its civil war in 1990.
Today’s strikes by Israel resulted in at least 51 deaths and over 223 injuries, as reported by the Lebanese health minister.
Hezbollah declared that it targeted the Mossad headquarters “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip… and in defense of Lebanon and its populace.” It accused Mossad of orchestrating the assassinations of its leaders and alleged involvement in incidents where booby-trapped devices detonated last week, claiming 39 lives and injuring nearly 3,000. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied these allegations.
Israel denies missile targeted Mossad HQ
Israeli officials asserted that a “heavy missile” was headed towards civilian areas in Tel Aviv, not specifically towards the Mossad headquarters, before being intercepted.
Israel has broadened the areas in Lebanon that it has been striking since last night, with attacks for the first time targeting the beach resort of Jiyyeh, located just south of Beirut.
Additionally, it attacked locations including Bint Jbeil, Tebnin, and Ain Qana in the south, the village of Joun in the southern Chouf district near Sidon, and Maaysrah in the northern Keserwan district.
As many as half a million people may have been displaced in Lebanon due to Israel’s bombardments, according to the foreign minister. In Beirut, thousands displaced from southern Lebanon sought refuge in schools and other facilities.
Damaged vehicles are observed beside a residential building that suffered strikes on its top two floors in the Ghobeiri area of Beirut.
More than 60 individuals were evacuated from the town of Alma Chaab, located near the border, following overnight strikes.
“At least two houses were completely destroyed, but fortunately they were empty, and there were no casualties,” stated Milad Eid, a resident.
Israeli authorities reported that the Galilee region of northern Israel faced heavy rocket fire from Hezbollah this morning.
In the Israeli town of Safed, an assisted living facility was struck, although no injuries were reported, authorities noted.
Near-daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border have persisted since hostilities erupted last October between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
