Israeli Aircraft Launch Strikes in the South Prior to Nasrallah’s Address

“Ongoing Hostilities Intensify Between Israeli Forces and Hezbollah; Regional Tensions Escalate Following Hamas Leader’s Death”

Continued skirmishes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have heightened tensions after the recent killing of Hamas’s deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri, in a Hezbollah-dominated area of southern Beirut on Tuesday.

Israeli air raids targeted the peripheries of Majdalzoun in the south, areas adjacent to a Lebanese military base in Aita al-Shaab, and several locations including Houla, Tayr Harfa, al-Jebbayn, and Yarin.

The situation in the region has become increasingly volatile with the spread of Israel’s military actions in Gaza to other areas, including recent strikes in Iraq and lethal explosions in Iran on Wednesday and Thursday, compounded by Arouri’s assassination.

Although experts believe a full-scale conflict is not imminent, there is a concern that miscalculated responses or disproportionate retaliation could ignite a broader confrontation.

In a related incident in Beirut, an airstrike, attributed to Israel and targeting al-Arouri, occurred a day prior to two bomb attacks in Iran. These attacks, claimed by the Islamic State, resulted in at least 84 deaths during commemorations for Revolutionary Guards General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed four years ago in a U.S. operation.

Following these events, another U.S. strike in Baghdad led to the death of a pro-Iran military leader from Al-Hashed al-Shaabi.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, the Israel-Lebanon border has experienced an upsurge in violence, with exchanges of fire between the Israeli military and Hezbollah forces.

This ongoing conflict has resulted in 175 fatalities in Lebanon, including 129 Hezbollah militants and over 20 civilians, with three journalists among them, as per AFP reports.

In northern Israel, the conflict has claimed the lives of nine soldiers and five civilians, according to Israeli sources.

Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has vowed retribution for Arouri’s death. Nasrallah is scheduled to deliver a speech today at 14:30 p.m.