Israel and Hezbollah face off on the ground in Lebanon

2024-10-02 20:07:43

BeirutA day after the Israeli army launched an attack on southern Lebanon, this Wednesday the artillery attacks increased and the first fighting took place on the ground. And also the first losses. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed the death of at least eight soldiers, and the Lebanese army has reported heavy helicopter movements to evacuate the wounded and dead. Hezbollah has claimed heavy casualties on Israeli soldiers, although it has not given details, and some Lebanese media reported ten Israeli soldiers killed and many wounded in hand-to-hand fighting in Maroun al -Ras and Odissey, cities near the border with Israel. .

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Meanwhile, Hezbollah has maintained its rocket attacks in northern Israel, which have hit Safed and Acre, while Israeli planes have carried out heavy bombing attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon, attacking targets and weapons weapons of the Shiite group. The Israeli army, however, insists that these are limited attacks and that it has no intention of entering Lebanon.

“We are at the top of a difficult war against Iran’s Axis of Evil, which wants to destroy us. This will not happen because we will be united and, with God’s help, we will all win together,” the Prime Minister Israel said. Benjamin Netanyahu, in a condolence video for the dead soldiers.

Hezbollah has also carried out another major attack against the concentration of Israeli forces around Dahieh, a predominantly Shia neighborhood of Beirut, a stronghold of the military. On Wednesday, there was an eerie silence at every corner as a convoy of press vehicles drove through the desolate and damaged streets of Haret Hreik, the neighborhood hardest hit by Israeli bombing. One million Lebanese citizens living in the area have disappeared. This Hezbollah stronghold has become the epicenter of destruction, and a carefully organized press tour is causing a sort of horror park tour.

Camera operators and reporters jostle, trying to capture the disaster. For many, it was the first time they had witnessed what they had been reporting for weeks. The damaged buildings and empty streets testify to the intensity of the attacks.

“The battle continues and we will win”

In the middle of the visit, an unexpected twist occurred: Mohammed Afif, the spokesman for Hezbollah, appeared on a pile of rubble to speak live. “The enemy has begun to recognize their losses, which is not normal”, he said firmly, assuring that the group has “brave and well-trained fighters, and enough weapons to maintain the southern front”. Addressing the Israeli army directly, he issued a warning: “You have won some battles with airstrikes and assassinations, but the war continues and we will win.”

A group of journalists, confused, followed young men on motorcycles, identified by their black shirts as local Hezbollah vigilantes. Them organizationunder the strict control of these “guides”, is interrupted many times by the surprise of the press, which causes confusion among the guards. There is a system of buildings on the ground, destroyed with complete precision by the Israeli bomb. Another block of flats, still burning after the attack this Wednesday morning, rose like a mountain.

Amid the scene of destruction, a group of young Shiites sang songs in honor of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, which caught the attention of foreign cameras. In the first place, Mohammed, a Lebanese Shia living in Venezuela, approached the journalists. “My house is in front,” he said with emotion. “Allah wants you to continue to live.” With anger, he added: “Israel is attacking the military areas. Women and children live here. The hypocrisy of the international community is evident with its silence.”

At the end of the trip, the journalists were left without access to the area where, last Friday, the Iranian leader of the Islamic resistance was killed along with other top Hezbollah officials. The mystery of Hassan Nasrallah’s burial site and the uncertainty about his successor are growing, fueling the atmosphere.

After this assassination, Iran’s support was confirmed with the launch of weapons against Israel on Tuesday, although many were intercepted by US air defenses in Iraq and Jordan. Israel’s Iron Dome did the rest of the job, but the massive attack boosted survival among Hezbollah fighters, who succeeded in forcing Israeli forces back in direct confrontations. The military operations of Hezbollah this Wednesday have been described as the strongest since October 8 last year, with 22 attacks against Israeli military positions, soldiers and vehicles.