Israeli fighter jets have conducted flight operations over the capital city of Beirut, producing a series of sonic booms intended to intimidate the local population. This follows a drone attack carried out by the armed group Hezbollah on northern Israel. The low-flying aircraft rattled windows in Beirut on Tuesday, serving as a reminder of the Israeli military’s destructive capabilities in Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has pledged that the group will retaliate in response to a series of alleged Israeli assassinations. “The Israelis chose to escalate by carrying out liquidations,” Nasrallah stated, adding that the group’s response would be “strong and effective” and could be executed alone or in collaboration with other members of the Iran-backed “resistance axis.” “We will respond, but with caution and consideration,” Nasrallah emphasized. “Israel’s wait for our response is part of the punishment.”
Tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed group are at their highest level since both sides began a series of limited, alternating attacks in October, which have resulted in the displacement of thousands on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. The suspected Israeli assassination of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last week, followed by a similar attack that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, has nearly guaranteed retaliatory strikes, with experts fearing this could trigger a larger war.
Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that they had launched a swarm of drones to attack Israeli military positions in northern Israel. Israeli authorities reported that twelve individuals south of the city of Nahariya were hospitalized after an Israeli missile interceptor failed and struck the ground. Seven others were injured in a drone attack, according to Nahariya Medical Center. The Associated Press reported that six Israeli soldiers were among the wounded.
“There are significant failures in Israel’s defense systems, which were supposed to be impermeable,” reported Al Jazeera correspondent Hamdah Salhut. “Initially, the army stated that they had shot down one of the drones, but the others were able to make an impression.”
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health indicated that an Israeli attack on the southern city of Mayfadun killed five people, while another Israeli strike near Adaysseh resulted in one additional fatality.