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Israel and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire Sunday, with the Lebanese group firing rockets deep into northern Israel after suffering some of the heaviest bombardment in nearly a year of conflict.
While a Hezbollah leader confirmed the entry into a new phase entitled “The Open Account Battle,” he said that they had not determined how to respond to the aggression.
For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that the strikes would continue until it was safe for those evacuated in the north to return, paving the way for a long-term conflict with Hezbollah vowing to continue fighting until a ceasefire in the parallel war in Gaza.
The conflict, which has escalated dramatically in the past week, has escalated since Hezbollah opened a second front against Israel in solidarity with Palestinians facing an Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded on Tuesday and Wednesday in an attack widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
The next day, Israel launched its heaviest bombardment of Lebanon to date. An Israeli attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday killed the founder of the group’s Radwan unit, along with a number of military leaders.
Yesterday, Saturday, also witnessed unprecedented bombing, which the Israeli army said hit about 290 targets, including thousands of missile launchers used by Hezbollah.
“In recent days, we have dealt Hezbollah a series of blows that it never imagined,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Sunday. “If Hezbollah does not understand the message, I promise you that it will.”
School closures
The Hezbollah leader stressed that the residents of northern Israel “will not return… but rather displacement will increase and support will expand.”
This comes as Israel has closed schools and restricted gatherings in the north and ordered hospitals there to move patients and staff to protected areas, many of which include secure and underground facilities designed to withstand rocket fire.
Sirens did not stop in Israel on Sunday.
The Israeli military said its systems intercepted about 150 rockets, cruise missiles and drones fired at Israel overnight and Sunday.
Several buildings in Israel were hit, including a badly damaged house near the city of Haifa. Rescue teams treated the wounded, but no fatalities were reported, and residents were instructed to stay close to shelters and safe places.
