Israel continues and expands attacks on Lebanon

Israel has expanded its attacks on Lebanon since the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

By Olivia Peters

Since Isreal’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, September 27, they have continued to launch attacks on Lebanon. On Thursday night, Israeli warplanes released a severe barrage of strikes on Lebanon with the goal of attacking Hashem Safeiddine, the presumed successor to Hassan Nasrallah. Currently, it is unclear whether Israel was successful in killing Safeiddine.

Hezbollah began firing on Northern Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza. Since then Israel has significantly increased its attacks, which Israeli officials state target Hezbollah’s munitions, bases, and commanders, but frequently kill and displace civilians. Despite the strengthening of
Israel’s attacks, Hezbollah has continued to fire back and leaders say they will continue to fight until Israel ceases all attacks on Gaza.

The fighting, which was initially intended to remain along the Lebanon-Israel border, has spread significantly into Lebanon. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people have had to flee their homes and at least 4 hospitals have closed in southern Lebanon due to damage from the bombardments.

Early Saturday, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran arrived in Syria. He is reportedly engaging in a diplomatic tour having visited Beirut on Friday in an effort to display Iran’s preparedness to support a joint cease-fire in Lebanon and Gaza.

President Joe Biden commented on Israel’s decision not to respond to Iran’s recent attacks saying if he were an Israeli leader “I would be thinking about other alternatives” rather than attacking
Iran’s oil facilities.

A United States citizen has been announced dead as a result of Israel’s bombardment on Lebanon. The State Department is “aware and alarmed” by the report of Kamel Ahmad Jawad’s death. Jawad was an American citizen visiting his hometown southern Lebanon when he was struck down by an Israeli airstrike.

For the first time in many weeks, Israel has announced a new evacuation order in the Gaza Strip. They have advised residents living in the Nuseirat and Al-Bureij refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip to flee.

In August Israel’s first evacuation warnings were given to residents in Gaza,
as a result of the Israeli focus on Lebanon this September there were no evacuation warnings given last month.