Israel’s military has ordered residents of more than 20 towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes on Thursday as its cross boarded incursion intensifies. This recent call further raises the number of evacuated towns to 70 including the provincial capital Nabatieh. Strikes targeted Hezbollah positions, even reaching a suburb of Beirut, signaling further escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Hezbollah responded by launching rockets at Israel’s Sakhnin base in Haifa Bay. Meanwhile, Israel is weighing its options for broader retaliation, including potential strikes on Iran, which recently launched its largest assault on Israel. When asked if he supported an Israeli strike on Iranian oil facilities, U.S. President Joe Biden said discussions were ongoing, contributing to rising global oil prices.
Lebanese authorities report over 1.2 million people displaced and nearly 2,000 killed since the conflict began, with 28 healthcare workers among the casualties in the past 24 hours. The World Health Organization (WHO) faces logistical challenges in delivering medical supplies due to flight restrictions.
On the ground, Hezbollah claims to have killed 17 Israeli soldiers, while Israel confirmed the loss of one soldier on Thursday, following its deadliest day of clashes with Hezbollah. The Lebanese army also reported two soldiers killed in Israeli strikes, with rare retaliatory fire from the army, marking an unusual involvement in the conflict.
Bottom Line
The situation in the Middle East remains volatile as both sides continues to exchange heavy fire. The involvement of the U.S and Iran in this conflict adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing situation with no hope of an immediate ceasefire. The recent order of evacuation suggests another imminent attack on Lebanon that would further complicate matters.
