2-8-2024 (LONDON) Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, unleashed a barrage of rockets targeting northern Israel on 1 August. The attack, described by Hezbollah as a retaliatory measure, comes in the wake of a deadly Israeli strike in southern Lebanon that claimed the lives of four Syrian nationals.
According to a statement released by Hezbollah, the group “launched dozens of Katyusha rockets” towards Israel. The militant organisation justified the assault as a direct response to what they termed “the Israeli enemy’s attack” on the southern Lebanese village of Shama, which resulted in civilian casualties.
Northern Israel right now: we hold the Lebanese government responsible for EVERY single Hezbollah rocket fired toward Israel.
We will not allow anyone to terrorize the people of Israel. pic.twitter.com/ZqN1tHk7cR
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) August 1, 2024
The Israeli military was quick to respond, with the air force reportedly striking the Hezbollah launcher responsible for the rocket fire. This rapid retaliation underscores the volatile nature of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The incident that sparked this latest round of violence occurred earlier on 1 August when an Israeli strike hit the village of Shama in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that four Syrian nationals lost their lives in the attack, with the possibility of the death toll rising pending DNA tests. Additionally, five Lebanese nationals were reported wounded in the strike.
Local emergency services, speaking to AFP, revealed that the deceased were farm workers and members of the same family. The aftermath of the strike was marked by billowing plumes of smoke, severe damage to nearby buildings, and a vehicle reduced to ashes.
This attack marks Hezbollah’s first significant military action since the killing of its top commander, Fuad Shukr, in an Israeli air strike on 30 July. Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had previously warned of an impending response to Shukr’s death, stating that operations would resume on the morning of 2 August.
The situation in the region has been further complicated by the recent killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an incident that both Iran and Hamas have attributed to Israel. Israeli authorities have refrained from commenting on this allegation.
The ongoing violence since October has exacted a heavy toll on both sides. According to an AFP tally, at least 542 people have lost their lives on the Lebanese side, including 114 civilians. On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 25 civilians have been killed, with casualties reported in the annexed Golan Heights.
