The Israeli forces have escalated their aerial attacks on Beirut, with heavy attacks yesterday that killed six and left seven others injured. The attacks come as part of a wider military response by Israel to Hezbollah operations in southern Lebanon, which have wreaked havoc, displaced families, and exacerbated tensions across the region.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered his first Friday sermon in five years, declaring that Israel "won't last long" as he endorsed Palestinian and Lebanese movements like Hamas and Hezbollah. Talking to nearly ten thousands of his supporters at a Tehran mosque, Khamenei defended Iran's missile strikes against Israel, which he called "a public service." He confidently declared that Israel would not be able to crush Hezbollah or Hamas.
Khamenei praised former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, saying his spirit would go on inspiring others against Israel. Khamenei's sermon marks a defiant stance amid ongoing tensions and threats in the region as he is holds highest authority in Iran. He also added "There is no doubt that the Zionists and the Americans are dreaming - the Zionist entity will be uprooted from the ground, it has no roots, it is fake, unstable, and exists only because of American support,"
Hezbollah launches retaliatory strike in northern Israel
The airstrikes on Thursday follow a sharp increase in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia group based in Lebanon. Israeli forces launched one of the latest ground incursions into southern Lebanon, in which Hezbollah reportedly destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with rockets near the town of Maroun El Ras. The Israeli military sustained eight combat losses in these operations, which brought an outcry from the Israeli government. The rising war situation was addressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a message to the nation. "We stand at the peak of a difficult war against Iran's Axis of Evil, which seeks our destruction. It will not happen because we will stand together, and with God's help, we will win together," he said.
Lebanon has been lashed severely by Israel's retaliatory air strikes from September 17 till now. According to the latest reports, more than 1,300 people have been killed by Israel in this war. Lebanon's health ministry announced on Thursday that 46 people died in the last 24 hours due to the Israeli air raids. According to Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the whole conflict left some 1.2 million Lebanese citizens displaced making it impossible for the most of its citizens to get shelter and other basic necessities.
Hezbollah Leader Targeted in Israeli Strikes
Israeli officials said one of the latest attacks in Beirut was meant for Hashem Safieddine, a high-ranking Hezbollah leader viewed as possibly being next in line to the late former head of the group Hassan Nasrallah. But It is still unclear if Safieddine was killed in the attack. Israeli forces have also demanded the evacuation of a village in southern Lebanon, which is said to be another step forward for troops into Lebanon. On the other hand, because of continued violence between Israel and Hezbollah. Spain, Germany, and South Korea have urged citizens to leave the region with the intensification of violence. US President Joe Biden has called for the violent action taken by Israel to be proportionate while maintaining that it is proper to defend against Iranian and Hezbollah's missile attacks.
Inputs by Agencies
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