Israeli military forces carried out a sweeping series of airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing dozens of people in what officials described as one of the most intensive operations against Hezbollah in recent months. The strikes targeted over 100 sites across the country, including infrastructure used by the militant group and positions where fighters had been stationed.
Netanyahu Vows to Crush Hezbollah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning during a nationally televised address, declaring that Israel’s military campaign would continue until Hezbollah’s capabilities are completely dismantled. He said the operation would not stop until the threat has been eliminated, drawing both domestic support and international condemnation.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that jets and drones had struck command centres, weapons depots, and tunnel networks used by Hezbollah in multiple locations across southern and eastern Lebanon. The military said the operations were in response to ongoing rocket fire aimed at northern Israeli communities, which has continued to destabilise civilian life near the border.
Civilian Toll Mounts
Lebanese health authorities reported significant casualties, with dozens confirmed dead and scores more wounded. Rescue teams worked through the night to reach victims buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings in several towns and villages. Hospitals in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley were overwhelmed with patients, many of them civilians caught in the crossfire.
The United Nations and several Western governments called for immediate restraint from both sides. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the escalation, warning that the conflict risked spiralling into a broader regional war. France and Germany issued a joint statement urging an immediate cessation of hostilities and calling for the protection of civilian populations.
Hezbollah Responds
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group and political movement, confirmed that its forces had sustained losses but vowed to continue its operations against Israel. The group said it had launched retaliatory salvos of rockets toward the Galilee region and other northern Israeli towns, with some projectiles intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system.
The conflict has reignited fears of a full-scale war along Israel’s northern frontier, a scenario that military analysts say would carry enormous risks for the entire region. Lebanon’s fragile economy, already buckling under years of political paralysis and financial crisis, faces further strain as displacement intensifies and infrastructure is damaged.
International mediators are reportedly working behind the scenes to secure a ceasefire, but diplomats acknowledge that the gap between the parties remains wide. Both sides have so far shown little appetite for de-escalation, raising concerns among humanitarian organisations about the growing civilian cost of the ongoing hostilities.
