Crisis in the Middle East: Israeli Air Strikes Create Terror in Lebanon
Building damaged during the simultaneous explosions of hundreds of Hezbollah’s pagers across Lebanon on September 17, in the days leading up to Israel’s escalation (Mehr News).
Israel launched hundreds of air strikes into Lebanon between September 23 and 27, in what is the latest development in the region as the Israel-Hamas War continues on. According to Al Jazeera, these attacks have killed at least 700 people including 50 children and 94 women and wounded at least 1,835 people from September 23 to September 26. The Israeli military launched the assault at Lebanon in an attempt to eradicate Hezbollah, theIran-backed Lebanese militant group in opposition to Israel, but the attacks have caused many civilian casualties and displaced thousands of Lebanese. These strikes mainly occurred in south and east Lebanon, the areas bordering Israel and Syria, and have thus resulted in many Syrian casualties as well.
These air strikes are an escalation of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. After the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the conflict between the two increased in frequency from sporadic instances to regular fighting. Although this isn’t Israel’s first incursion into Lebanon since then, , the scale of the current attacks is unprecedented. Its jump in aggression is a result of a Hezbollah attack deep within Israel on September 22 which displaced thousands of Israelis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel will continue to “strike Hezbollah with all [their] strength” and won’t stop until they “achieve all [their] objectives.” Their main stated objective is to allow Northern Israeli residents who evacuated due to the conflict to return to their homes. Due to their commitment to continuing their assault, it is highly unlikely Israel will accept any proposals from the United Nations or other countries for a ceasefire. Additionally, Israel is seemingly preparing for a potential ground invasion of Lebanon to fully eradicate Hezbollah. A ground invasion would displace yet more Lebanese civilians, who are already flooding to Syria by the thousands, resulting in a refugee crisis.
Luna Hammad, the medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, a charity that provides humanitarian medical care, stated the injuries caused by Israeli attacks in Lebanon is “immense pressure on an already fragile health system.” Due to an economic crisis in 2019, Lebanon’s health system already lacked resources. Health facilities in Lebanon don’t have the fuel, supplies, or staff to deal with the damage to Lebanese infrastructure and the large number of wounded in need of urgent care as a result of the air strikes, creating a health crisis in the region.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted it is possible “the fire of events that are taking place (in Lebanon) will expand to the entire region.” Alongside creating a refugee crisis in Syria and a health crisis in Lebanon, Israel’s unwillingness to relent in their use of force or agree to a ceasefire could drag other Middle Eastern countries into yet another conflict.