Israel Unleashes Heavy Strikes On South Lebanon After War Plans Approved

Israel’s military has just announced that IDF chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has “approved operational plans as part of the continuation of the war” in Israel’s north against Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Exchanges of fire grew overnight and as of Thursday afternoon heavier airstrikes on southern Lebanon have been reported, as well as more than 40 rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel.

Local Hebrew media says several Israelis have been wounded after a missile fired by Hezbollah hit a vehicle in northern Israel. Israel says the goal of the new escalated anti-Hezbollah operation is to allow the return of the 80,000 residents of the north who have been forced out of their homes for almost a year. “At least eight people in Israel were wounded Thursday in an anti-tank guided missile attack on the Lebanon border that was claimed by the Hezbollah terror group, while others were injured in a subsequent drone strike,” Times of Israel reports.

The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, recently completed approval of plans for the northern arena. pic.twitter.com/B8VEZMZC9T

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 19, 2024

“We are very determined to create the security conditions that will return the residents to their homes, to the communities, with a high level of security, and we are ready to do all that is required to bring about these things,” the IDF stated.

The IDF has indicated that a new major operation has begun. Indeed it appears the feared bigger Lebanese war has come:

“The IDF is currently striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.”

“For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them and used weapons as human shields—having turned southern Lebanon into a war zone,” it said.

It is likely that the rate of airstrikes and mortar fire will rise throughout the day into the night. The major Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon have been confirmed through several circulating social media videos.

⚡️Zionist strike on south Lebanon pic.twitter.com/xyKugbr37m

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) September 19, 2024

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is currently addressing the pager attack crisis of the last two days which has left at least 37 dead and hundreds wounded. The televised speech is being closely followed by Lebanese and Israelis and the West alike.

He described that Israel “targeted thousands of pagers in one go” on Tuesday and Wednesday. “This is an act of war and a declaration of war by Israel on the Lebanese people,” Nasrallah said, further describing the attack as “an effort to kill 5,000 Lebanese people within minutes.” He acknowledged that Hezbollah suffered a ‘major and unprecedented’ blow but also emphasized that over much of the past year Israel has “lost the north” of its own country and the settlers are “screaming” in pain and danger.

Nasrallah says many of the pagers were out of service, turned off or stored away. He repeats that Israel’s wilfull intent was to kill thousands of Lebanese people within minutes.

Israeli jets flying low over Beirut during Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s speech. pic.twitter.com/yl5077S5G1

— Moshe Schwartz (backup) (@MosheReports) September 19, 2024

Here’s regional analyst Aron Lund:

In his first speech after the explosions, Nasrallah repeats, with maximum emphasis, that Hezbollah will not, under any circumstances, stop striking Israel until a ceasefire is in place in Gaza. If Israel had hoped to force a deal on its own terms, that doesn’t seem to be working.

Nasrallah emphasized that Hezbollah will not stop its operations against Israel “no matter what” so long as the Gaza operation continues.