Israeli soldiers came under attack in Lebanon on Wednesday as the country braced for a full-scale war with Hezbollah, which has been launching rockets against Israel for a year in parallel with the Gaza war of Hamas, the group’s Palestinian ally. Sirens sounded in northern Israel, and the army said it had been conducting airstrikes on several targets in southern Lebanon near the border village of Labbouneh. Hezbollah, which fired a large barrage of artillery shells and rockets into Israel, said it had pushed the troops back. The Iran-backed movement, which has been battling Israel in a ground war since last week, has vowed to keep firing rockets and missiles until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, its ally’s territory that has been in an almost yearlong war with Israel.
Hezbollah said in a televised statement that it will be ready for a ground operation and that commanders killed by Israel in recent weeks have been replaced. The statement also mentioned that Hezbollah would appoint a successor to slain leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, though it didn’t name the man who would be heir apparent. Nasrallah’s cousin, Hashem Safieddine, oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs and is widely regarded as the heir apparent, but hasn’t been seen or heard from in the past year.
On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut killed a figure responsible for budgeting and logistics, Suhail Husseini. The strike killed him and 19 other Hezbollah fighters. CBC’s Margaret Evans traveled to Tyre, which is controlled by Hezbollah and heavily bombed in recent days, and spoke to residents about the growing conflict that has killed over 1,000 people in Lebanon and displaced more than a million.
In a message released Saturday, Hezbollah spokesman Ibrahim Ghalib said the death of Akil and Wahbi was a “painful blow” for the group. It said they were involved in the transfer of advanced weapons from Iran to Hezbollah units. It also condemned the United States for putting a $7 million reward on Akil, who was accused of taking part in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
Hezbollah, which Iran backs, says it won’t relent until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Still, Netanyahu has said he will go ahead with his military campaign to force the militants to disarm. The escalating violence has sparked fears of a protracted war and caused massive displacement in both countries.