Hezbollah Strikes Israel, Biden Hopes Iran To "Stand Down" (file image)
Hezbollah said it launched dozens of rockets at Israel on Saturday. The claim came amidst the growing anticipation of how Iran and Hezbollah will hit back at Israel for its provocative actions lately. Amidst the fears of regional war, US President Joe Biden hoped that Iran would “stand down”. Washington said it was boosting its military presence in the Middle East to protect its personnel and defend the Jewish nation amid soaring tensions.
Hezbollah said its rocket attacks on Moshav Beit Hillel in Israel injured civilians there, The Times of Israel reported. It also said it was a retaliatory attack to Israel’s strikes on Kfar Kela and Deir Siriane in Lebanon, which killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukur.
Israel said its Iron Dome system intercepted most rockets fired by Hezbollah. Israeli authorities said several impacts were recognised near Beit Hillel. As per local media, fires were reported in the area.
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US embassy in Beirut asked people to leave Lebanon immediately on “any ticket available”, fearing a disastrous regional war. The advisory came after UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that the regional situation “could deteriorate rapidly”. Several countries, including Jordan, Canada and India have issued the same advisory to their citizens.
Yesterday, an Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanon town of Bazourieh killed Ali Abd Ali, a prominent Hezbollah operative. According to the Israeli military, Ali was a “central terrorist” in Hezbollah’s Southern Front, as reported by Times of Israel.
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Iran is deeply wounded by the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Haniyeh was is Tehran to join the swearing-in ceremony of new President Masoud Pezeshkian. The assassination exposed a humiliating security lapse in Iran. Reportedly, Iran has arrested over two dozen people including security and intelligence officials in line with the investigation of the issue. Iran has not yet confirmed making any arrests in connection with the assassination.
The Western media reported that Haniyeh was killed by a bomb that was planted approximately two months before, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the Hamas leader was killed by a short-range projectile.
