On Monday, Israel’s military announced that it had conducted a strike in Beirut, Lebanon, resulting in the death of Hussein Makled, the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence operations.
This military action follows a series of strikes by Israel across Lebanon, initiated on Sunday after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group launched attacks into Israeli territory in retaliation for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Prior to these developments, a fragile and imperfect ceasefire had been maintained between Israel and Hezbollah.
In response to the escalating situation, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson urged residents in over a dozen locations near the de facto border in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate.
“We have issued 18 urgent evacuation warnings for buildings associated with the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the following villages and towns,” stated Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic language spokesperson, in a post on X, which included a list of affected locations.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported on Monday that the Israeli strikes had resulted in 52 fatalities and 154 injuries, with the attacks concentrated in southern Beirut and border areas. This figure updated an earlier report that indicated 31 deaths.
Hezbollah, established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, claimed responsibility for firing missiles into Israel as an act of vengeance for the “pure blood” of Khamenei, who was killed in a bombing on Saturday.
This missile barrage marked the first of its kind from Hezbollah in over a year and was met with the most extensive Israeli retaliatory strikes during that timeframe.
Israel has stated that it holds Hezbollah accountable for the escalation and has identified the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, as a “target for elimination.” However, there has been no indication from Israeli officials that a ground invasion is imminent.
Civilians in Lebanon crowded major roads in an effort to escape areas perceived to be at risk, with this exodus beginning overnight Sunday into Monday and continuing into the morning hours.
In Beirut, the Lebanese government appeared to be seeking to mitigate the conflict on Monday, even as explosions were reported in various parts of the capital.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam convened a Cabinet meeting and subsequently stated that the government rejected any military actions originating from Lebanese territory “outside the framework of its legitimate instructions,” emphasizing that the authority to declare war or peace rests solely with the state.
Salam asserted that this situation necessitates an immediate ban on all of Hezbollah’s military and security activities, deeming them illegal, and called for the group to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese state.
Part of the tenuous ceasefire established last year involved the Lebanese government assuming control of security in the southern region near the Israeli border and the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from that area.
However, the extent to which the Lebanese government can effectively control Hezbollah, especially in light of the escalating tensions with Iran, remains a significant and unresolved question.
