Israel launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, claiming to have thwarted an Iranian-led assassination plot, according to Reuters. This comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, following a series of sophisticated attacks involving Hezbollah’s communication devices. According to reports, Israel has arrested an Israeli businessman in connection with an alleged Iranian assassination plot targeting top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Recent explosions of Hezbollah radios and booby-trapped pagers have caused widespread panic across Lebanon. In one of the deadliest days of the ongoing cross-border conflict, 20 people were killed on Wednesday when hand-held radios detonated across southern Lebanon. The day prior, pagers used by Hezbollah to evade mobile surveillance exploded simultaneously, killing 12 people, including two children, and injuring nearly 3,000.
Mustafa Sibal, a resident near Beirut, reflected on the growing fear, telling Reuters, “This isn’t a small matter; it’s war. Who can even secure their phone now?”
Israeli warplanes reportedly struck villages near the border overnight, and airstrikes resumed midday Thursday. The attacks, while not officially confirmed by Israel, are believed to be part of a Mossad-led operation targeting Hezbollah’s communications network. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the airstrikes, urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene against what he described as Israel’s “aggression” and “technological war”.
While the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon noted that cross-border exchanges of fire have not dramatically increased, tensions remain high. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from the Israel-Lebanon border and Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that additional military units, including commandos and paratroopers, are being redeployed to the northern border as the conflict enters a “new phase.”
Despite the escalating situation, the conflict has not yet erupted into full-scale war. However, continued exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, coupled with ongoing evacuations, signal that tensions are far from over.