Israel-Hezbollah tensions drive fears of widening war
Hezbollah published a more than nine-minute video showing drone footage taken by the movement over northern Israel, including parts of the city and port of Haifa
Published: 04:06 PM,Jun 20,2024 | EDITED : 07:06 PM,Jun 20,2024
Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment on the village of Khiam in south Lebanon near the border. — AFP
BEIRUT: Fears of a regional war rose on Thursday after Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement said none of Israel would be spared in a full-blown conflict, and Israel said it had approved plans for a Lebanon offensive.
Experts are divided on the prospect of wider war, almost nine months into Israel's vow to eradicate the Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip.
In a televised address, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said 'no place' in Israel would 'be spared our rockets' if war began.
The Lebanese group has exchanged near-daily fire with Israel since October 7 attack on southern Israel, but the fire from Hezbollah rockets, Israeli warplanes and other weapons has escalated in the past few weeks.
The Hezbollah chief also threatened the nearby island nation of Cyprus if it opened its airports or bases to Israel 'to target Lebanon'.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides denied his country's involvement in the war and said it was 'part of the solution'. He pointed to its role in a maritime humanitarian corridor to Gaza.
Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 37,396 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the territory.
The Yemenis and Lebanese both say they are acting in response to Israel's actions in Gaza.
On Tuesday Israel's military announced that 'operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated', and Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned of Hezbollah's destruction in a 'total war'. US envoy Amos Hochstein called for 'urgent' de-escalation.
On Tuesday Hezbollah published a more than nine-minute video showing drone footage taken by the movement over northern Israel, including parts of the city and port of Haifa. Two former Israeli security officials were split on the prospect of wider conflict.
One said that there would be an operation in Lebanon 'within a few weeks' while another said the government was 'more interested in a ceasefire'.
The cross-border violence has killed at least 478 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also 93 civilians. Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north.
Tens of thousands have been displaced on the Israeli side of the frontier, and the UN's International Organization for Migration says more than 95,000 have been uprooted in Lebanon. — AFP
Experts are divided on the prospect of wider war, almost nine months into Israel's vow to eradicate the Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip.
In a televised address, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said 'no place' in Israel would 'be spared our rockets' if war began.
The Lebanese group has exchanged near-daily fire with Israel since October 7 attack on southern Israel, but the fire from Hezbollah rockets, Israeli warplanes and other weapons has escalated in the past few weeks.
The Hezbollah chief also threatened the nearby island nation of Cyprus if it opened its airports or bases to Israel 'to target Lebanon'.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides denied his country's involvement in the war and said it was 'part of the solution'. He pointed to its role in a maritime humanitarian corridor to Gaza.
Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 37,396 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the territory.
The Yemenis and Lebanese both say they are acting in response to Israel's actions in Gaza.
On Tuesday Israel's military announced that 'operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated', and Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned of Hezbollah's destruction in a 'total war'. US envoy Amos Hochstein called for 'urgent' de-escalation.
On Tuesday Hezbollah published a more than nine-minute video showing drone footage taken by the movement over northern Israel, including parts of the city and port of Haifa. Two former Israeli security officials were split on the prospect of wider conflict.
One said that there would be an operation in Lebanon 'within a few weeks' while another said the government was 'more interested in a ceasefire'.
The cross-border violence has killed at least 478 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also 93 civilians. Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north.
Tens of thousands have been displaced on the Israeli side of the frontier, and the UN's International Organization for Migration says more than 95,000 have been uprooted in Lebanon. — AFP