In a major escalation of violence, Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets into northern Israel early Sunday, targeting cities and military infrastructure, with several projectiles landing near the port city of Haifa. The barrage came in response to a series of intense Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon that killed dozens, including a high-ranking Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Akil, and marked a significant turning point in the conflict between the two foes.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Kassem, confirmed that the group had entered an “open-ended battle” with Israel, signaling a dangerous spiral toward an all-out war that threatens to engulf the region. This violent exchange underscores the fragility of the situation, with both sides locked in increasingly destructive confrontations and no signs of de-escalation on the horizon.
Overnight Barrage Shakes Northern Israel
The barrage on Sunday marked one of Hezbollah’s most intense rocket attacks since the 2006 Lebanon War. Air raid sirens blared across northern Israel as hundreds of thousands of residents scrambled for safety in bomb shelters. According to Israeli authorities, at least three people were injured when a rocket struck a residential building in Kiryat Bialik, a suburb of Haifa, setting cars and buildings on fire. Avi Vazana, a local resident, described the moments of terror as he rushed to a shelter with his wife and infant child, only to return to the street moments later to check if anyone had been hurt in the aftermath.
“I ran without shoes, without a shirt, only with pants. I ran to this house when everything was still on fire to try to find if there are other people,” he said, his voice shaking with emotion. Rescue services later confirmed that four people were wounded by shrapnel from the rocket barrage.
Hezbollah’s attack was a response to a series of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese soil over the weekend. On Friday, a particularly devastating Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed 45 people, including Akil, a veteran commander responsible for Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. The airstrike targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah leaders and came after an unprecedented Israeli cyber-attack, which caused thousands of Hezbollah’s communication devices to explode, dealing a significant blow to the group’s capabilities.
Hezbollah Declares an “Open-Ended Battle”
Speaking at the funeral of Ibrahim Akil, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Kassem warned that the latest rocket attack was just the beginning of a broader confrontation with Israel. “We admit that we are pained. We are humans. But as we are pained — you will also be pained,” Kassem said, hinting at a long and bloody conflict ahead.
The group also unveiled a new type of missile, the Fadi 1 and Fadi 2, which it used to target Ramat David airbase southeast of Haifa. Hezbollah has been preparing for this escalation for years, amassing a vast arsenal of weapons and enhancing its strategic capabilities. The use of the new missiles marks a significant escalation in Hezbollah’s military response, as the group had previously refrained from using advanced weaponry in its skirmishes with Israel.
In addition to targeting military installations, Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for attacking the headquarters of Israel’s Rafael defense firm, located in Haifa, as retaliation for the cyber-attack on its communications systems. Israel has not commented on the strike against Rafael, and the extent of the damage remains unclear.
Israel’s Response: Hundreds of Strikes on Southern Lebanon
In retaliation for Hezbollah’s rocket barrage, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah’s rocket launchers, military sites, and infrastructure. The Israeli military confirmed that it had destroyed around 400 militant sites in the past 24 hours, in what it described as a preemptive move to thwart an even larger attack by Hezbollah. “Hundreds of thousands of civilians have come under fire across northern Israel,” said Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman. “Today we saw fire that was deeper into Israel than before.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would continue its military operations until security was restored in the northern regions. “No country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities. We can’t accept it either,” he said in a televised address. Netanyahu also emphasized that Israel’s military would act decisively to prevent further threats from Hezbollah.
A Regional Conflict on the Horizon?
The escalating violence between Hezbollah and Israel comes amid an already volatile situation in the region. Hezbollah has been firing rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians since the outbreak of the war in Gaza nearly a year ago. That conflict began when Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages. Since then, the war has claimed the lives of over 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, with women and children making up more than half of the victims.
Until recently, the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel had remained relatively low-level, with sporadic exchanges of fire and limited casualties. However, the latest developments have shifted the focus from Gaza to Lebanon, raising fears of a broader regional war. While Hezbollah had previously stopped short of attacking major Israeli cities like Tel Aviv or targeting critical civilian infrastructure, its recent rocket attacks suggest a shift in strategy.
The international community has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence. John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council, said the U.S. was engaged in extensive diplomacy to prevent the conflict from escalating into an all-out war.
“We are watching all these escalating tensions that have been occurring over the last week or so, with great concern, and we want to make sure that we can continue to do everything we can to try to prevent this from becoming an all-out war,” Kirby told Fox News Sunday.
Humanitarian Impact and Fears of a Broader War
The humanitarian toll on both sides of the conflict is mounting rapidly. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported three deaths and four injuries from the latest Israeli strikes near the border, though it did not specify whether the casualties were civilians or combatants. Thousands of Lebanese civilians have been displaced, fleeing the southern regions as Israeli airstrikes intensify.
Meanwhile, in northern Israel, daily life has come to a standstill. Schools have been canceled, and hospitals in the region have begun moving operations into fortified areas to protect patients and staff from potential rocket attacks. Local governments have urged residents to remain in bomb shelters until further notice.
In Gaza, the focus has begun to shift as families of Israeli hostages and Gaza residents express concern that the war in Lebanon could distract from their own plights. Udi Goren, a relative of Tal Haimi, an Israeli man who was killed and whose body was taken into Gaza, voiced fears that the growing conflict with Hezbollah would divert global attention from the hostages in Gaza.
“I’m incredibly concerned with the increased tensions with Hezbollah because my biggest concern is that all the public’s attention and the world’s attention” will be distracted, Goren said.
As tensions mount, international diplomats and organizations are calling for an urgent ceasefire. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the U.N. envoy for Lebanon, issued a stark warning on social media, saying, “With the region on the brink of an imminent catastrophe, it cannot be overstated enough: there is NO military solution that will make either side safer.”
Hezbollah’s Retaliation for Israeli Cyber Attacks
Adding to the already volatile situation, Hezbollah has promised further retaliation against Israel for a series of cyber-attacks that caused thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by its members to explode. These attacks, which killed at least 37 people and injured around 3,000, were widely attributed to Israel, although the Israeli government has not confirmed responsibility.
The cyber-attacks appear to be part of a broader Israeli strategy aimed at crippling Hezbollah’s communication networks and limiting its ability to coordinate operations. In response, Hezbollah’s leadership has vowed to continue its military campaign until Israel halts its airstrikes on Lebanon and ends its occupation of Palestinian territories.
As Israel and Hezbollah continue their fierce exchange of attacks, the prospect of a wider regional war looms large. Both sides appear to be digging in for a prolonged conflict, with Hezbollah ramping up its missile capabilities and Israel escalating its airstrikes. International efforts to mediate a ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful, and the chances of a peaceful resolution seem slim.
The war in Gaza, coupled with the intensifying conflict in Lebanon, is threatening to push the region into a full-scale catastrophe. Without urgent diplomatic intervention, the situation could spiral further out of control, drawing in other actors from the region and beyond. For now, both Israel and Hezbollah remain locked in a deadly cycle of violence, with civilians on both sides bearing the brunt of the suffering. The road to peace, if it exists, seems more elusive than ever.
