Update: Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Tuesday that 558 have been killed, including 50 children and 94 women, and 1,835 have been wounded
Israel dramatically escalated its military operations in Lebanon on Monday, launching strikes against residential areas across the south and east of the country, killing hundreds of people.
According to Lebanon’s health minister, at least 492 people were killed in the Israeli strikes, including 38 children and 58 women, and another 1,645 people were wounded. Al Mayadeen reported that it’s estimated that Israeli warplanes launched 1,100 airstrikes.
Israel also launched an airstrike in Beirut and said it targeted Ali Karaki, the head of Hezbollah’s southern command. But Hezbollah said Karaki was “fine and God willing is in full health and wellness” and that he was “transported to a safe area.”
Tens of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon fled the Israeli bombardment and headed north. The Israeli military threatened that it would expand strikes to eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and told residents to leave. Later in the day, it began bombing the area.
To justify its bombing of civilian homes in Lebanon, the Israeli military claimed Hezbollah was storing large missiles and missile launchers inside houses. Israel offered no evidence for the claim besides animated videos and overhead footage that purported to show airstrikes on homes in Lebanon, but it was unclear.
Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel in response to the Israeli bombardment. Some rockets landed in Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel is expected to continue escalating its attacks on Lebanon, but Lebanese security sources told Middle East Eye that a ground invasion is not likely even though Israel is amassing troops. “Israel knows that if it infiltrates Lebanon, the Lebanese army and Hezbollah will have military superiority on the ground,” one source said. “If the Israeli army carries out a ground invasion, the Lebanese army will participate with Hezbollah in confronting and defending.”
Israel’s escalation came almost a week after it blew up thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah, killing dozens, including at least two children. This past Friday, Israel launched a major airstrike in Beirut, killing at least 45 people, including a senior Hezbollah commander, three children, and seven women.
On Sunday, Sheikh Naim Kassem, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, said the group had entered a “new phase” of fighting with Israel. But he also said Hezbollah would end its attacks on northern Israel if there were a ceasefire in Gaza.
Instead of pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza, the US is backing Israel’s latest escalation in Lebanon and announced that it’s deploying more troops to the region. US military aid and political support have emboldened Israel to escalate in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.
"a ground invasion is not likely"
Whoever said that knows nothing of military reality. Israel absolutely will have to put ground troops because its air power is almost useless against Hezbollah underground positions. And since the IDF is incompetent, its troops will be mauled badly, forcing the US to first commit air and naval power and then US boots on the ground. It's inevitable.
See the latest from Alastair Crooke:
Will Israel “recklessly” seize the day? “Have the doors to a war without limits been opened?”
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2024/09/23/will-israel-recklessly-seize-day-have-doors-war-without-limits-been-opened/
Alastair Crooke : Israel’s War Without Limits.
Also from Bernhard at MoA:
The War About Palestine Has Reached Its Next Stage
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/09/the-war-about-palestine-has-reached-its-next-stage.html
Hezbollah is paying people to put weapons in their homes. What go wrong with making a little extra cash by renting out a bedroom for storage?
Provide proof.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-releases-photos-of-hezbollah-storing-munitions-in-lebanese-civilian-homes/
So they've got one very if-fy video of dubious origin and some photos even the IDF aren't willing to date or give attribution. Almost as convincing as the WMD in Iraq!
Typical IDF proof. Now why should anyone doubt that those photos are from an attic in Lebanon?
I think there have been infiltrators into Hezbollah for intelligence.
Of course there have been infiltrators. Hezbollah claims membership of 100k. The next military or political group of that size without infiltrators will be the first such group.
By deception thou shalt wage war.
Why would "terrorists" pay?
" Israel offered no evidence for the claim" Why on earth would Israel reveal how they know that? The best they can do is show a building blowing up with secondary explosions. But it does not matter Israel haters, and you know who you are, will still blame Israel.
we don’t hate israel, we hate war. and we hate israeli aggression qnd we hate how US getting pulled into this conflict and how US is arming the israeli warmongers even though we are broke and hungry and homeless right here in the US of A. we want peace and prosperity for a change. we are sick of war & debt. why are you here tim? to cheerlead israeli aggression? go find a war pigs website to offload your tropes and your propaganda. this is antiwar.org.
This is an open forum.
And plenty of supposedly antiwar people turn into raving warmongers as soon as they see a regime they like going to war.
So true. As for those people who want me to leave, hit the ignore button. But I don't do that because it very interesting to see how people think even when I disagree with them. You and I don't always agree, but I enjoy your counter argument. Sometimes you have got me to change position. You did that recently.
Interesting! Care to share what position you changed on?
There are people who post "Death to Israel". And they are not haters? OK. Have you ever read the purpose of the antiwar.org group?
While you are paying attention to this troll you're not posting analysis and denunciation of the genocide. That's why it's here.
I am curious myself as to why you come to this website everyday…
I am sure you are. LOL
I could make some educated guesses, but I wouldnt do that, even for a $$$leazeball like you.
Do not be confused. Read Norman Finkelstein and Asa Winstanley's books. It's an industry and a state operation.
The "secondary explosions" are generally propane tanks for cooking.
Why on earth would Israel reveal how they know that?
Good one. Indeed, why would they? They know the checks and the weapons will keep coming. No need for actual proof. Like when they said that 40 babies were beheaded on Oct 7th when ONE infant under the age of ONE was actually killed.
Israel better back this off. Repercussions await. I have no wish for any of us to go any further than where we have…
"Escalate to de-escalate" – Israel's official position. Not a glaring difference from the US doctrine that peace comes from deterrence, that you have to be so vastly militaristic and aggressive that no one would dare consider questioning your total dominance. We lead the way marching into WWIII awkwardly patting ourselves on the back for being such a peace-loving democracy that's just strangly misunderstood.
Believe that is Russian doctrine, lots of ex Russians in Israel these days
I finally finished the math on this one. Israel = Netanyahu = USA. …What's that? …That's not math? Okay… …Prove me wrong.
More math. USA > (Russia or Iran) Prove that wrong.
Your point?
Too many undefined variables.
Assuming you mean militarily, Ukraine seems to be demonstrating pretty clearly the inferiority of the fragile and expensive US-supplied wunderwaffen. (Although we did learn that a Patriot battery can shoot down a 30 year-old F-16.) Both Russia and Iran are producing functional hypersonic missiles (with the latter apparently having supplied at least one to Yemen), while the US still hasn't managed a successful prototype. NATO/US tactics developed for the 1980s and training are failing miserably in Ukraine, while Russian commanders are gaining experience in modern methods of warfare. (From what I've read the US and UK still don't have any training developed for FPV drones or battlefield robotics, both of which are in wide use in Ukraine, only France and Turkey do among the NATO powers.) Russian EW equipment and artillery countermeasures seems to be recognized as the best out there, and in recent military air show orders from traditionally US clients like Pakistan for Russian equipment featured prominently.
What is it going to take to get something going? Look for bigger strikes in the near future
This should read "Israeli/American Strikes Kill at Least 558 in Lebanon."