On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes conducted three low-altitude dives over the Lebanese capital of Beirut, causing massive sonic booms. The Israeli military launched this intimidation operation as the leader of Hezbollah was preparing to deliver a televised speech, reaffirming their vow to retaliate against Israel for the recent assassination of a senior commander of the radical organization.
The Israeli warplanes flew over Beirut at low altitudes three times in less than 30 minutes, creating a rapid succession of sonic booms that rattled windows throughout the city, prompting residents to seek cover.
The loud noise prompted residents to quickly open their windows to prevent glass breakage or stand on balconies to watch the planes fly by.
The Israeli Defense Forces did not provide any comments on the situation.
At the time of these actions, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was preparing to start a television speech around 5 p.m. (2 p.m. GMT) to mourn the death of the highest-ranking military commander of Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut a week earlier.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate and aligns with threats issued by Iran. Iran has pledged to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. Haniyeh was one of the main architects of the raid on Israel on October 7 last year and was a top target for Israel before being killed at the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the assassination operation.
These two deadly attacks have escalated tensions in the Middle East and pushed the region to the brink of all-out war.
In his Tuesday speech, Nasrallah said that Hezbollah’s retaliation would be “strong, effective, and impactful.”
He claimed that action would be taken individually or in coordination with Hezbollah’s regional allies and would wait for the right time to respond, without suggesting the form or timing of retaliation. He also stated that the uncertainty of the time of the counterattack is a “partial punishment” for Israel.
He also mentioned that efforts by the international community to dissuade Hezbollah from seeking retaliation have been futile, and regardless of the consequences, Hezbollah will not give up its retaliation.
Before Israel responded to Hezbollah’s threats with sonic booms, earlier in the day, both sides launched attacks against each other.
First, the Israeli Air Force attacked two Hezbollah facilities in southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of four suspected Hezbollah fighters.
Later, Hezbollah launched a swarm of attack drones towards two military bases near Acre in northern Israel and attacked an Israeli military vehicle elsewhere. The Israeli military announced that due to a missed interception missile hitting the ground, several civilians were injured, with seven people taken to hospitals, and one in critical condition.