Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel on Tuesday, targeting areas as far south as Haifa. This latest attack comes amidst rising tensions in the region, with both sides continuing to exchange strikes despite efforts to broker a ceasefire. As the conflict deepens, tens of thousands of Israelis have been forced to evacuate from their homes near the Lebanese border, and the Israeli military has sent more ground troops into southern Lebanon in response.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah launched over 170 rockets into northern Israel, marking one of its largest single-day rocket attacks in recent weeks. The rockets targeted key locations, reaching as far south as the coastal city of Haifa. Israel’s military reported that most of the rockets were intercepted by its aerial defense systems, but some caused damage to buildings, and a 70-year-old woman was injured by shrapnel.
The scale of the rocket barrage underscores the ongoing strength of Hezbollah’s military capabilities, despite weeks of heavy Israeli airstrikes aimed at neutralizing the group’s infrastructure. Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s acting leader, addressed the situation in a video statement, asserting that the group’s military forces remain largely intact. “We are firing hundreds of rockets and dozens of drones,” Qassem said, speaking from an undisclosed location. “A large number of settlements and cities are under the fire of the resistance.”
Qassem took over Hezbollah’s leadership following the death of its long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month. While Qassem promised that a new leader would soon be named to officially succeed Nasrallah, he acknowledged the difficulty of doing so in the midst of ongoing hostilities. He reiterated Hezbollah’s commitment to resisting Israeli military incursions and continued to pressure Israeli settlements along the northern border.
In response to the escalating rocket attacks, Israel’s military has expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon. According to the Israeli military, additional troops from a fourth division have been deployed to the region, with operations expanding to the west of their initial positions. Despite the reinforcements, Israel’s ground operations remain largely concentrated along a narrow strip near the border, where they are focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s militant infrastructure.
In addition to ground operations, Israel has continued its air campaign targeting Hezbollah leaders and assets. On Tuesday, the Israeli military announced that an airstrike in Beirut had killed Suhail Husseini, a senior Hezbollah commander responsible for overseeing logistics, budget, and management within the organization. While Hezbollah has not yet commented on Husseini’s reported death, the strike highlights Israel’s efforts to dismantle the group’s command structure.
The Israeli military claims it has killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters since the conflict began, though these figures remain unconfirmed by independent sources.
The ongoing conflict has had a devastating impact on civilians in both Israel and Lebanon. In northern Israel, where Hezbollah’s rockets have been concentrated, tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes, and schools in areas around Haifa have been closed as a precautionary measure. Residents have been urged to limit their activities as air raid sirens continue to sound, adding to the growing sense of fear and uncertainty.
On the Lebanese side, the situation is even more dire. Over a million people have been displaced since the fighting intensified in mid-September, and more than 1,300 people have been killed, primarily as a result of Israeli airstrikes. The strikes have heavily targeted Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah maintains its headquarters.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is not occurring in isolation. It is part of a broader regional struggle involving multiple state and non-state actors, with Iran playing a central role in supporting both Hezbollah and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group fighting in Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas are both part of what is known as the “Axis of Resistance,” a coalition of Iran-backed groups opposed to Israel and its allies.
In recent weeks, Iran has become more directly involved in the conflict. Last week, Tehran launched a massive barrage of 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, in what it described as retaliation for the death of Hezbollah’s Nasrallah and an Iranian general who was killed in the same Israeli airstrike. This marked a significant escalation, as it was one of the most direct confrontations between Israel and Iran in recent years.
In addition to Iranian involvement, Houthi militias in Yemen—another Iran-backed group—have also launched missiles at Israel. These missiles have reached as far as central Israel, triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv. While most of these projectiles have been intercepted by Israel’s defense systems, they have caused significant disruptions to daily life, though property damage and casualties have remained relatively low.
As the conflict rages on, there are growing calls for a ceasefire, particularly from Hezbollah’s allies in Lebanon. Nabih Berri, Lebanon’s parliament speaker and a key Hezbollah ally, has been leading efforts to negotiate a truce. Berri is seen as a crucial intermediary between Hezbollah and the United States, which has been pushing for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
In his video address, Qassem expressed support for Berri’s efforts but stopped short of committing to a ceasefire. He hinted that Hezbollah’s willingness to agree to a truce may depend on the situation in Gaza, where Israeli forces are currently engaged in heavy fighting with Hamas. Qassem did not clarify whether Hezbollah would be willing to accept a ceasefire before one is reached in Gaza, leaving the door open to continued fighting.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have remained firm in their stance, vowing to continue their military operations until the threat from Hezbollah is neutralized, and displaced Israeli citizens can return to their homes in the north. Israel has also pledged to respond to Iran’s missile barrage, though it has not yet specified how or when this retaliation will take place.
The conflict has drawn significant attention from the international community, particularly the United States, which has long been Israel’s closest ally. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is currently in Washington for talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as the Biden administration seeks to balance its support for Israel with concerns about a potential escalation of the conflict into a broader regional war.
The U.S. has made it clear that it opposes any Israeli plans to launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, fearing that such a move could ignite a wider conflict involving multiple countries in the Middle East. However, the Biden administration continues to back Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militias.
