IRIA News

4 minute read

Tensions across the Middle East reached new heights on October 7, 2024, as Israel launched one of the most intense airstrikes on Lebanon and Gaza. On the same day, Hamas fired a volley of rockets toward Tel Aviv as Israelis were holding memorial ceremonies for the first anniversary of the deadly October 7 attack.

On the eve of October 7, Hezbollah also conducted a rocket attack on Israel. Several of its rockets bypassed Israeli air defense systems, landing in Israel’s third-largest city, Haifa, and the city of Tiberias.

According to Israeli media reports, at least 10 people were wounded in Haifa, with police confirming significant damage to buildings in the city. Hezbollah claimed responsibility, saying it had targeted a military site south of Haifa with a salvo of “Fadi 1” missiles.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon

In response to the rocket attacks, Israeli fighter jets carried out one of the most intense airstrikes seen in Beirut since Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah escalated in the past month. The Israeli military reported that the strikes targeted Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters and weapons storage facilities in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Other airstrikes hit Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.

Footage from Israel’s airstrikes on the suburb of Beirut, Lebanon.

What are they dropping on civilians?!

This level of explosive power is being used on civilian structures while the international community remains silent. pic.twitter.com/b6YBEpOwKb

— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) October 5, 2024

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes also targeted residential areas in the towns of Kayfoun and Qmatiye, killing 12 people, including three children, and wounding 24 others.

Gaza under siege

Meanwhile, Gaza also faced renewed bombardment from Israeli forces. The densely populated enclave has endured relentless Israeli strikes since last year’s October 7 attack, witnessing one of the worst humanitarian crises and intense devastation.

On October 6, airstrikes targeted a mosque and a school sheltering displaced civilians. According to the Gaza administration, 26 people were killed and 93 were wounded in the latest strikes. Israel, however, stated that its attacks were “precise strikes on Hamas’s terrorists.”

On October 7, Israeli soldiers killed a 12-year-old Palestinian boy during confrontations between youths and Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.

The war in Gaza, which has raged for nearly a year, has already resulted in the deaths of nearly 42,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel maintains that its military campaign is focused on eliminating Hamas’s militants and securing the release of hostages captured in last year’s attack. Still, the high civilian toll has led to increasing international criticism.

Israel has accused Iran of stoking the conflict through its support for Hamas and Hezbollah, which both receive financial and military backing from Tehran. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated this stance on Sunday, declaring that Israel would decide independently how to respond to Iran. During an interview, Gallant said, “Everything is on the table. Israel has capabilities to hit targets near and far, we have proved it.”

Although U.S. President Joe Biden has voiced opposition to Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, he acknowledged that Israeli attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructure were being discussed. Gallant is set to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin later this week to discuss Israel’s next steps.

International criticism

The escalation in violence comes amid a surge of global protests against Israel’s military actions. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place over the weekend, stretching from Jakarta to Istanbul, Rabat, and major Western cities, including Washington, New York, and European capitals. Protesters condemned Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon, with many calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the bloodshed.

French President Emmanuel Macron added his voice to the growing international dissent, calling for a halt to arms shipments to Israel. In response, Israel argued that such moves would only serve Iran’s interests by weakening Israeli defenses against Tehran’s regional proxies.

The United States, however, has continued to back Israel’s right to self-defense, although it warned that military pressure must be balanced to avoid unintended consequences. U.S. officials cautioned that the intensifying Israeli airstrikes could lead to “miscalculations” and further destabilize the region.

The United States has provided at least $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which has intensified conflict across the Middle East. A significant portion of the U.S. weapons supplied over the past year includes munitions, ranging from artillery shells to 2,000-pound bunker-busters and precision-guided bombs.

As the conflict approaches the one-year mark, the death toll in Lebanon continues to rise. More than 2,000 people have been killed in the past year of fighting, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, with a significant portion of those casualties occurring in recent weeks.

With the situation deteriorating and neither side showing signs of backing down, the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon risks spiraling further, potentially drawing in more regional powers and threatening a broader Middle Eastern war.