Israel and Hezbollah Escalate Conflict with Cross-Border Fire
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Israel Defense Forces bombed several of its arms depots in Lebanon for the second consecutive night, Hezbollah responded by firing over 50 rockets into civilian areas in northern Israel on Wednesday morning.
The Israeli military announced that it targeted Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley overnight, marking another strike against the arms depots of the Iranian-backed group.
This air attack followed a statement by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who earlier said that “attacking munitions warehouses in Lebanon is preparation for anything that might happen.”
On Wednesday morning, Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon launched over 50 rockets at Katzrin in the northern Golan Heights, moderately injuring one man and damaging several homes. The IDF confirmed that most of these rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.
Ynet News was informed by security officials that unlike previous attacks that targeted IDF bases and inadvertently hit civilian areas, Wednesday morning’s salvo by Hezbollah was deliberately aimed at the civilian population in Katzrin.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed the death of Fatah terrorist Khalil Makdah in an airstrike near Sidon, Southern Lebanon. Khalil was the brother of Mounir al-Makdah, who resides in Lebanon and is accused by Jerusalem of working with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah to orchestrate terror attacks against Israel.
AFP reported that Khalil Makdah, who was recently killed in an airstrike, served as an official with the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction, while his brother Mounir holds a senior position in the political party led by P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas.
This was confirmed by a senior Fatah member and a security source. Tawfik Tirawi, a member of Fatah’s central committee, told AFP, “The assassination of a Fatah official is further proof that Israel wants to ignite a full-scale war in the region.”
Despite US-led efforts by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the conflict persists.
In solidarity with Gaza, Hezbollah and Iran have promised increased retaliation, complicating diplomatic efforts to quell the violence.
Since the Gaza war began in October, Hezbollah has bombarded northern Israeli communities almost daily with drones, rockets, and missiles. During this period, about 80,000 Israelis have evacuated from the north, with most spending the past 10 months in hotels elsewhere in Israel due to the relentless attacks.
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