Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks intensify

Israeli President Isaac Herzog defended Israel’s deadly escalation in violence against Hezbollah, attributing it to the group’s rocket attacks from Lebanon which forced 100,000 Israelis from their homes. Israel carried out a strike in Beirut that killed senior Hezbollah commanders, leading to heightened tensions in the region. Herzog denied that Israel was seeking to escalate the conflict into a full-blown war and expressed a preference for a diplomatic solution. However, Israeli forces continued to strike Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, with Hezbollah retaliating by launching rockets deeper into Israel than before. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to continue the strikes until it was safe for evacuated Israelis to return home. Additionally, Israeli forces shut down Al Jazeera’s bureau in the West Bank, sparking condemnation from the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate. Netanyahu reportedly informed lawmakers that only half of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are alive, amid ongoing cease-fire negotiations. The U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon warned that the region was on the brink of catastrophe and urged both sides to seek a diplomatic solution. The Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, wounded in Israeli bombings, expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people. The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in military actions.

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