Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Wednesday that Israeli forces are conducting an “offensive operation” across southern Lebanon. During a visit to the Northern Command headquarters, Gallant stated that approximately half of Hezbollah’s field leaders in southern Lebanon have been eliminated, emphasizing that the coming period would be critical.
Israeli media reported that Gallant’s visit involved operational discussions with Major General Uri Gordin, along with intelligence, operations, and logistics officers. Gallant declared at the end of the meeting that half of Hezbollah’s leaders in the region responsible for offensive actions aimed at harming Israeli citizens have been killed, with the remainder hiding and leaving the area open to Israeli military operations.
Gallant added that the primary goal is to enable residents of northern Israel to return to their homes, stressing that the upcoming period will be decisive. Concurrently, the Israeli military announced that it had struck approximately 40 Hezbollah targets within minutes using fighter jets and artillery in the town of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, targeting storage facilities, weapons, and infrastructure.
The recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has seen a marked increase in violence and destruction. After a deadly incident where Israeli airstrikes killed seven people in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah retaliated by launching dozens of rockets into northern Israel, targeting towns like Kiryat Shmona. This response underscores the volatile and retaliatory nature of the conflict.
The situation has been exacerbated by continuous exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border, which have been ongoing since the conflict in Gaza began in October. This conflict has led to significant civilian casualties and raised fears of a wider regional escalation.
The repeated strikes and counterstrikes have led to a severe humanitarian crisis in the affected regions, with massive displacements on both sides of the border and a dire situation for civilians caught in the crossfire.
