Hezbollah launches artillery attack on Israeli troops in retaliation to ’ground offensive’ in Lebanon

Israel-Hezbollah conflict: Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah said that it launched artillery fire at Israeli military personnel stationed in the northern town of Metula, Reuters has reported. The attack comes after the Israeli military announced that it carried out targeted strikes on Hezbollah's weapons manufacturing facilities and related infrastructure in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut on Monday.

On Tuesday, October 1, Israel said its troops had launched raids inside Lebanon, starting its widely expected ground operations after two weeks of devastating airstrikes against Hezbollah's command structure and weapons sites.

In a post, IDF wrote, “The IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel. The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command, which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months.”

On Sunday, September 29, the Israeli military said that it killed another high-ranking Hezbollah official, bringing the total number of high-ranking commanders killed to seven, after launching one of the biggest-ever airstrikes against the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed militant group. The attack also killed civilians, including women and children. Among those killed are the group’s leaders Hassan Nasrallah, Nabil Kaouk, Ahmad Wehbe, Mohammad Surour, Ibrahim Kobeissi, and Ibrahim Akil.

The intensive air strikes have not only killed Hezbollah commanders but also killed about 1,000 civilians and forced one million to flee their homes, according to the Lebanese government.

The White House and the US State Department did not respond to inquiries regarding Israel's military actions in Lebanon; however, President Joe Biden expressed concerns on Monday, advocating for a ceasefire. "I'm more worried than you might realize, and I support halting the operations," he stated to reporters when questioned about Israel's potential ground incursions. "We need to establish a ceasefire immediately."

(With inputs from Reuters)