Hezbollah fires rockets into Israel after airstrike kills commander

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

HEZBOLLAH LAUNCHED A BARRAGE OF ROCKETS INTO NORTHERN ISRAEL WEDNESDAY, RESPONDING TO AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE IN SOUTHERN LEBANON THAT KILLED A TOP COMMANDER AND FURTHER ESCALATING REGIONAL TENSIONS. 

TUESDAY’S ISRAELI STRIKE IN LEBANON KILLED HEZBOLLAH COMMANDER TALEB SAMI ABDALLAH, MARKING THE LATEST DEADLY EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AND ISRAEL. HEZBOLLAH STEPPED UP ITS ATTACKS INTO NORTHERN ISRAEL IN SOLIDARITY WITH HAMAS AFTER OCTOBER 7TH. ABDALLAH IS ONLY THE SECOND HEZBOLLAH LEADER KILLED BY ISRAEL SINCE THEN.

THE ISRAELI MILITARY REPORTED THE PROJECTILES WERE LAUNCHED FROM LEBANON, CAUSING FIRES BUT, SO FAR, NO CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED. THE EXACT NUMBER OF PROJECTILES FIRED IS IN DISPUTE, BUT IT’S LIKELY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 160 AND 200.

THIS ONGOING CONFLICT, CHARACTERIZED BY ROCKET AND DRONE ATTACKS, HAS DISPLACED AT LEAST 60-THOUSAND ISRAELIS SINCE OCTOBER.

THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCE ANNOUNCED ITS IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON — WITH TWO AIR FORCE JETS STRIKING LAUNCHERS USED TO FIRE PROJECTILES INTO NORTHERN ISRAEL.

DESPITE INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO HALT THE VIOLENCE, ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA AND REDUCE HOSTILITIES BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL REMAIN STALLED. 

ON TUESDAY HAMAS RESPONDED TO A U-S BACKED CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL IN GAZA SUGGESTING AMENDMENTS BUT NOT FULLY COMMITTING TO THE TERMS. ISRAEL VIEWED THE MOVE AS AN OUTRIGHT REJECTION.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN IS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, PUSHING FOR A CEASEFIRE THAT INCLUDES THE RELEASE OF HOSTAGES, A PROPOSAL THAT IS BEING MET WITH RESISTANCE FROM BOTH ISRAEL AND HAMAS.

IN RESPONSE TO THE U.S.-LED INITIATIVE, HAMAS REITERATED ITS DEMAND FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE WITH SPECIFIC TIMELINES AND TOUGHENED ITS POSITION ON KEY ISSUES, LIKE THE WITHDRAWAL OF ISRAELI FORCES FROM STRATEGIC AREAS NEAR GAZA.

MEANWHILE HEZBOLLAH SAID ITS ATTACKS WILL CONTINUE IN SUPPORT OF THE PALESTINIANS UNTIL ISRAEL CEASES ALL MILITARY ACTIONS IN GAZA. 

ALL THIS COMES AS THE UNITED NATIONS ACCUSED BOTH HAMAS AND ISRAEL OF COMMITTING WAR CRIMES SINCE THE CONFLICT IN GAZA BEGAN 8 MONTHS AGO. YOU CAN FIND MORE ON THAT REPORT IN WEDNESDAY’S MORNING RUNDOWN. 

FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING ABOUT THE TENSIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST–BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.