ReutersFor nearly a month, many people in Lebanon have been on tenterhooks, waiting for Hezbollah to retaliate against Israel. The region is also waiting, wondering whether it will trigger a wider war.
Everyone knows that powerful Iranian-backed groups will avenge Israel’s assassination of senior military commander Fuad Shukr on July 30. The Israelis managed to hunt him down deep in South Beirut, Hezbollah’s heartland. It was both a strategic loss and a public humiliation.
Hours later, the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran had all the hallmarks of another Israeli operation. But Iran continues to say its rewards are likely to be long-term projects.
At 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, Hezbollah took action and fired more than 300 Katyusha rockets and “a large number of drones” into Israel. This is cold revenge. It was carefully calibrated and the results were lower than some expected.
Hezbollah said it targeted 11 military bases and barracks and claimed the attacks were successful. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said most of the rockets missed their targets.
Regardless, Hezbollah is not targeting Israel’s major cities or critical infrastructure. And it doesn’t pull out its big guns. The group is listed as a terrorist organization by the UK and US and is believed to have more weapons than many countries.
At 4:30 a.m., Israel intervened first, filling the sky with fighter jets targeting Hezbollah’s firing positions. The Israel Defense Forces said the “preemptive strike” destroyed thousands of rocket launchers.
Getty ImagesIt is the worst conflict since the Gaza war broke out last October after Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in one day.
Since then, Hezbollah has been fighting Israel on the border between the two countries, expressing support for its ally Hamas and solidarity with the people of Gaza.
So where are we now one day? Surprisingly, maybe the Middle East might be a little safer.
Messages were sent from both sides, but no all-out war broke out. Hezbollah has said it is ready to temporarily end the Fuad Shukr chapter.
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said: “We reserve the right to continue our response later, but for now, people can go on with their lives with peace of mind.”
It’s welcome news to many here after a tense month.
He spoke on television from an undisclosed location to his supporters – who may be at the top of Israel’s hit list.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday’s attacks on Hezbollah “are not over yet.”
But diplomats told Reuters that the two sides had exchanged messages saying they did not want the situation to escalate further.
U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyIn southern Lebanon, the usual low-level conflict has resumed.
Israel had just attempted another assassination, leaving a burning car in the searing streets of the port city of Sidon. Local sources said the target was a Hamas leader who escaped just in time.
Along the coast of the city of Tyre, Israeli jets swooped low, breaking the sound barrier, but the beaches below were even more crowded.
“Everything feels very peaceful today,” said a man in his 20s who asked not to be named.
“Everything is back to normal. The streets are quiet, but people are back. Today, people can breathe.
Hezbollah said it was delaying retaliation to allow time for ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. But Egypt’s latest round of talks has yet to make significant progress.
While the war in Gaza continues, its horror has heightened instability across the Middle East.
