【sita day panel chart】Hezbollah, Israel clash in significant border escalation, heightening regional tensions
This photo shows smoke caused by an Israeli airstrike in Al-Qusayr, Lebanon, Aug. 25, 2024. Three Hezbollah members and one member of the Amal Movement were killed, with six others wounded on Sunday following Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
The intensification of hostilities raises the risk of a broader conflict involving regional and international actors, including the United States and Iran, and threatens to undermine ongoing ceasefire efforts in Gaza, where Israel has been engaged in a protracted conflict with Hamas for over 10 months.
CAIRO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israeli and Hezbollah forces engaged in extensive exchanges of fire early Sunday morning along the Israel-Lebanon border, marking a significant escalation in their longstanding conflict.
Hezbollah announced it had launched hundreds of missiles into Israel in retaliation for the killing of its commander, Fouad Shokor, in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut last month. In response, Israel reported conducting numerous preemptive airstrikes targeting Hezbollah's rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.
The intensification of hostilities raises the risk of a broader conflict involving regional and international actors, including the United States and Iran, and threatens to undermine ongoing ceasefire efforts in Gaza, where Israel has been engaged in a protracted conflict with Hamas for over 10 months.
This photo taken on Aug. 25, 2024 shows a woman standing in a building hit directly by a rocket fired from Lebanon overnight, in the northern Israeli city of Acre. (JINI via Xinhua)
During an emergency national security cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on Sunday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the destruction of thousands of Hezbollah rockets.
"This morning we detected Hezbollah's preparations to attack Israel," Netanyahu said. "In consultation with the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff, we instructed the IDF to act proactively to remove the threat."
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that around 100 Air Force fighter jets carried out preemptive strikes on Hezbollah rocket launchers. However, these attacks did not prevent Hezbollah from launching a large-scale assault on Israeli targets.
Hezbollah reported firing over 320 rockets and drones at northern Israel, while the IDF confirmed that about 210 rockets and 20 drones were launched from Lebanon, with some intercepted and others causing damage and injuries.
The Lebanon-based group also dismissed Israeli claims that the preemptive strikes disrupted its retaliation operations, claiming that the first round of its operations was "successful."
In Acre, a coastal city in northern Israel, a woman sustained light injuries from Hezbollah shrapnel, according to Magen David Adom, Israel's first aid service. Lebanese sources reported four militants killed and six others wounded in southern Lebanon due to Israeli raids.
This photo taken on Aug. 25, 2024 shows a building hit directly by a rocket fired from Lebanon overnight, in the northern Israeli city of Acre. (JINI via Xinhua)
Despite intense morning clashes, fighting has largely subsided since Sunday afternoon. However, Netanyahu warned that the Israeli airstrikes are "not the end of the story," adding that Israeli forces will "strike Hezbollah with surprising crushing blows."
After Hezbollah's rocket and drone attacks, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a 48-hour nationwide emergency. Educational activities and workplaces may continue if shelter is available, but outdoor gatherings are limited to 30 people, and indoor gatherings to 300. Beaches near the Lebanon border are closed.
Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv experienced delays and flight redirections but reopened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT), according to the Israel Airports Authority. Airlines including Royal Jordanian, Turkish Airlines, and Air France have canceled flights to Beirut due to the escalating situation.
The situation remains tense as Iran and its allies threaten further retaliation for the deaths of Shokor and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Israel has warned of a strong response if the conflict escalates, potentially targeting critical infrastructure in southern Beirut and Lebanon, where Hezbollah's main bases are located.
The Houthi group in Yemen and Hamas have both praised Hezbollah's actions on Sunday. The Houthi group, which has launched many attacks against Israeli targets, congratulated Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah for what it described as a "significant and courageous attack" against Israel.
This photo taken on Aug. 25, 2024 shows a building hit directly by a rocket fired from Lebanon overnight, in the northern Israeli city of Acre. (JINI via Xinhua)
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati convened on Sunday morning an emergency meeting to assess the situation and called for international intervention to halt "the Israeli aggression."
Egypt has cautioned about the risks of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, calling for calm and de-escalation. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to maintain Lebanon's stability and prevent a state of "comprehensive instability" in the region.
Egypt is hosting high-level talks in Cairo on Sunday aimed at negotiating a cease-fire and discussing the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The talks are expected to include U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egypt's chief intelligence official, Abbas Kamel. Israeli Mossad chief David Barnea is also anticipated.
Hamas has sent a delegation to Cairo for briefings but is not participating directly in the negotiations.
Editor: Zhang Zhou相关文章
Original Lobster Festival held in U.S.
A woman wearing a lobster-shaped cap poses for a photo during the Original Lobster Festival in Fount2024-09-20中华老字号!西安饭庄油泼biangbiang面近期新低:5.3元/盒
手工扯面 + 秘制辣油,面条筋道,宅家囤货好物。西安大业食品有限公司西安饮食子公司)生产,公司依托西安饮食在餐饮方面的优势,以生产糕点烘焙类、肉制品类、速冻食品类、方便食品类、半成品类、饮品酿造类等2024-09-20检护民生丨甘心“未”你,甘泉县人民检察院呵护未成年人健康成长
中国青年网延安5月28日电见习记者 张哲宁 记者 乔佳新)5月23日,“检护民生·高质量发展中国行”——新媒体走基层看检察活动采访团来到陕西省延安市甘泉县,实地探访甘泉县人民检察院为呵护未成年人健康成2024-09-20- 感谢IT之家网友 USER 的线索投递!IT之家 7 月 12 日消息,智谱 AI 宣布,训练了一种新的视频理解模型 CogVLM2-Video,并将其开源。据介绍,当前大多数的视频理解模型使用帧平均2024-09-20
Original Lobster Festival held in U.S.
A woman wearing a lobster-shaped cap poses for a photo during the Original Lobster Festival in Fount2024-09-20复兴志 报国行|高校师生走进委员工作站 感受乌鲁木齐“齐商量”故事
文案:郭文静 李华锡 制图:朱钧有中国青年网乌鲁木齐6月24日电记者 李华锡)在新疆乌鲁木齐沙依巴克区红庙子街道新居社区政协委员工作站的就业服务站里,有一个编花作坊,门口扶梯鲜花萦绕,作坊里有十几位女2024-09-20
最新评论