Israel and Hezbollah engaged in fierce clashes on Sunday, September 22. Israeli warplanes carried out the most intense bombing in nearly a year on southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah launched rockets deep into northern Israel.
According to Reuters, the Israeli military stated that around 290 targets of Hezbollah were struck on Saturday, including thousands of rocket launchers, and that they will continue to target more objectives.
Israel closed schools in many northern areas and restricted gatherings, also requiring local hospitals to transfer operations to facilities with additional protection to fend off rocket and missile attacks.
On Sunday morning, the Lebanese government did not issue any orders.
Last year on October 7, Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, triggering a war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza controlled by Hamas. The next day, Hezbollah opened a second front on the Israel-Lebanon border to counter Israel and support Hamas. The conflict escalated sharply over the past week.
The Israeli military reported continuous sirens throughout the night, with multiple rockets and missiles fired from Lebanon and Iraq, most of which were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems.
Several buildings were targeted, including a house near the Israeli city of Haifa that suffered severe damage. Rescue teams are treating casualties, but there have been no reports of fatalities. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters and safe rooms.
Hezbollah claimed to have launched a series of missile attacks on Israel’s Ramat David Airbase, marking the deepest strike into Israel since the conflict began.
Meanwhile, an official from the Iran-supported militant faction “Iraqi Islamic Resistance” stated that they launched cruise missiles and explosive drones against Israel on Sunday dawn as part of a “new stage of support to the Lebanese front”.
The official mentioned, “The escalation in Lebanon means escalation in Iraq.”
This move fuels concerns that the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon may further spread in the region.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated on Sunday that “Israel has no interest in fighting Lebanon”, asserting that Hezbollah has been “armed to the teeth by the evil empire of Iran”.
He mentioned that on Friday in southern Beirut, the slain Hezbollah leader was meeting to plan a new “equally awful, horrifying attack” like the one launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7 last year.
Hezbollah had its most serious clash with Israel in nearly a year on Friday. Hezbollah stated that 16 of its members, including senior leaders Ibrahim Aqil and commander Ahmed Wahbi, were killed in airstrikes carried out by Israel that day.
The Israeli military stated that the airstrikes hit Aqil and the underground meeting of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit, nearly destroying their military command system.
Friday’s attack dealt another blow to Hezbollah, following a series of explosions targeting pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members in the past two days.
The death toll from these attacks has risen to 39, with over 3,000 injured, widely believed to be orchestrated by Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that over the past few days, Israel has delivered a series of unexpected blows to Hezbollah.
“If Hezbollah didn’t get the message, I assure you they’ll get the message.” Netanyahu added during a speech ahead of a government meeting on Sunday. “We are determined to ensure the safety of the citizens in the north returning to their homes.”
Hezbollah announced on its Telegram channel on Sunday that they launched rockets at Israel’s military industrial facilities as a preliminary retaliatory response to the explosive attacks.
Israel swiftly responded, with the military stating that they targeted Hezbollah objectives in Lebanon.
Hezbollah vowed to continue fighting until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in the Gaza region.
U.S. officials indicated that achieving this in the short term is unlikely. Israel desires Hezbollah to cease fire and pull back from border areas in compliance with a 2006 United Nations resolution, regardless of whether a ceasefire agreement is signed in Gaza.
On Saturday in southern Lebanon, witnesses described a massive explosion during Israel’s latest round of attacks, illuminating the night sky as bright as day, shaking the ground.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated last week that Israel is launching a new phase of warfare on the northern border.
“The action of the new phase will continue until our goals are achieved: the safe return of northern residents to their homes,” he posted on X.
Since Hezbollah began launching cross-border attacks against Israel on October 8 last year, tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border have been forced to flee their homes.