Yesterday, an Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre killed a Hezbollah commander named Mohammed Naameh Nasser. Nasser was reportedly the head of the Aziz Unit, one of three units of Hezbollah forces along the southern border with Israel.
Hezbollah responded by firing over 200 rockets against northern Israel, targeting military sites, including the occupied Golan Heights. Israel reported that a number of the rockets, and an estimated 10 drones, were intercepted.
According to Israeli officials, one IDF reservist was killed. The strikes set several fires, which Israeli forces are still trying to get under control.
Both Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire at increasing rates since October, fueling concerns that the situation will erupt into a full-scale Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon.
Reports are now circulating that Israel is planning to start an invasion in the latter half of July. This should be taken with a grain of salt, as previous reports appeared warning of a Lebanese war starting in mid-June as well as in the early spring.
What is clear is that both sides are escalating, and the danger of launching a serious war remains substantial. The international community continues to try to engage in talks to prevent the war, warning Israel that it is ill-prepared to fight a war on a second front while the Gaza War continues to rage.
