Image: Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, in northern Israel, on Tuesday. Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
By Smartencyclopedia News Staff with Agencies
Tel Aviv, Israel – Israel remains on high alert tonight as sirens sounded across Tel Aviv, signaling a fresh wave of rocket attacks believed to be launched by Hezbollah. At least five rockets were reportedly fired toward central Israel, with one rocket falling in Tel Aviv. Fortunately, several missiles were intercepted by Israel’s defense system, though the country remains on edge as tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate.
This latest barrage comes just hours after an Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 firefighters in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group operating out of Lebanon, began launching rocket attacks on Israel in October 2023, in solidarity with its ally Hamas. Despite suffering significant losses, Hezbollah has continued to launch attacks on Israeli territory.
Hamas, operating out of Gaza, also claimed responsibility for attacks on Israeli forces. In response, the Israeli military initiated a series of artillery and airstrikes overnight, targeting Hamas infrastructure and underground militant positions, to prevent further attacks.
The renewed fighting comes on the anniversary of the surprise Hamas-led assault on Israel, where militants breached Israel’s security fence and launched a brutal attack on nearby army bases and civilian communities. Over 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in the initial assault, and around 250 were taken hostage by Hamas. To date, approximately 100 captives remain in Gaza, with 33 believed to have died while in captivity.
As the conflict enters another critical phase, Palestinian officials report that the ongoing Israeli offensive has killed around 42,000 people in Gaza and displaced an estimated 90% of its population. The destruction caused by the conflict has left much of the region in ruins, with Gaza City and surrounding areas bearing the brunt of the devastation.
In the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy addressed growing concerns about Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its role in supporting militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. Speaking on Channel 4 News, Lammy stated that the British government was “looking very definitely” at how to handle the IRGC, facing pressure to designate the group as a terrorist organization. “We are looking very definitely at this and how – when we’re talking about a state-sponsored organization as opposed to a terrorist cell – how it is best dealt with,” Lammy added, reiterating the importance of countering Iran’s influence in the region.
Meanwhile, world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, have called for a ceasefire in the Middle East as they mark the first anniversary of the deadly October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The attack, which led to widespread condemnation, resulted in the deaths of over 1,100 Israelis and the abduction of more than 250 civilians, many of whom remain unaccounted for.
With Israel now engaged in simultaneous conflicts with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, fears of a broader regional conflict loom large, especially as Israel prepares to respond to last week’s ballistic missile attack by Iran. As tensions continue to rise, the world watches closely, hoping for a diplomatic solution to bring an end to the escalating violence in the Middle East.