Protests in Tel Aviv against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu They remain stronger than ever in demanding an agreement for the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. One of the most striking images of the last few hours was the moment when Israeli forces dragged on the ground to a former army chief general.
Meanwhile, dozens of Israeli Air Force planes continue to attack Hezbollah’s “terrorist targets and rocket launchers” in Lebanon, in crossfire in which Shiite militias also participated this Saturday, but without engaging in open warfare.
“In the last hour, we have launched numerous attacks in southern Lebanon, after detecting that Hezbollah was preparing to fire on Israeli territory,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari announced overnight. Simultaneously and due to the growing insecurity, the army announced at 8:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. GMT) new restrictions for the civilian population in the north of the country.
From the main city in the north of Haifathe third largest in the country, passing through the Galilee and some communities in the occupied Golan Heights, congregations of more than 30 people outdoors and 300 indoors. In addition, any educational activity must have bunkers nearby. Tonight, according to the Hebrew press, Netanyahu will hold security consultations with ministers and senior defense officials at the Tel Aviv headquarters.
Before the new wave of attacks, the Israeli military claimed to have bombed thousands of rocket launchers in the neighboring country today, “ready for immediate use.” In addition, it said it had also destroyed about 180 “targets,” a term that includes everything from Hezbollah militias to military structures. For its part, Hezbollah carried out at least nine attacks on northern Israel on Saturday, allegedly targeting military outposts, barracks or bases, according to the group’s own statements detailing each attack.
Israel has confirmed that it has detected the launch of some 90 rockets against its territory, which have caused fires near the border – in an area that was almost deserted after the evacuation of about 60,000 Israelis northern communities – and the burning of at least one house in Kadita.
“Despite the increased crossfire, there is no indication that Hezbollah is ready to launch an all-out war with Israel at this time, although it promised a few days ago that it would respond.”specific“to the simultaneous and massive explosion of thousands of pagers in the hands of its members, followed yesterday by an attack in Beirut in which at least 16 of its men were killed, including commanders.
The three days of Israeli attacks have provoked at least 37 dead and around 3,000 injuredaccording to Lebanese sources. “Hezbollah’s military chain of command has been almost completely dismantled,” the army said in a statement today, showing the faces of half a dozen senior officials killed in the 11-month battle against the Iran-affiliated militia. “We will continue to operate against any terrorist organization that poses a threat to our civilians on all fronts,” the statement added.
The return of Israelis evacuated from northern cities has recently become one of the official objectives of the war in Gaza, along with the defeat of Hamas or the return of the 97 hostages still held captive in the Gaza Strip, among others. This is why Israel has reiterated that its attacks on pro-Iranian militias will not stop until this objective has been achieved. This Friday, after the Beirut attack – and while the bodies were still being collected – the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a succinct message that said: “Our objectives are clear and our actions speak for themselves.”
According to several Israeli analysts, everything depends on whether Hezbollah accepts a diplomatic solution and moves away from the division, or whether Iran instead chooses to “risk everything,” in the words of Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and regional analyst.There are only two possible options: continue the exchange of fire with Israel, which would lead to a wider conflict at a time when Hezbollah is at its weakest, or give way to a diplomatic solution that allows Israel to achieve its ultimate war objective: returning the displaced to their homes in the north,” Melamed emphasizes.
