Israeli Air Force launches strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon VIDEO

In an escalation of military operations, the Israeli Air Force conducted targeted strikes on approximately 75 Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon during the night of September 26, as part of its ongoing operation, “Arrows of the North.”

The airstrikes focused on key locations in southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting ammunition depots, rocket launchers, military structures, and critical Hezbollah infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports citing Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

This latest offensive underscores the escalating tensions in the region and Israel's commitment to countering perceived threats from Hezbollah. The operation reflects ongoing efforts to disrupt the group's military capabilities amidst a complex security landscape.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily fire since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza last October, with the Lebanese group allied with Hamas. On both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border, thousands of people have been forced from their homes due to the fighting in northern Israel and southern Lebanon respectively.

However, the fighting had mostly been limited to cross-border attacks, with Israel killing 878 people in Lebanon since 8 October 2023, over 400 of which are believed to be Hezbollah fighters.

The dead also included at least 150 civilians, with more than 110,000 people displaced from their homes in Lebanon's south.

Israel claims the "Arrows of the North" operation is aimed solely at Hezbollah. However, given the high civilian death toll and the residential areas hit by Israel, many believe Israel is using similar tactics to that which it used in Gaza, namely attacking civilian areas in southern Lebanon to terrorise Hezbollah's civilian base of support.

It could also be that Israel is now using major force against Lebanese civilians to pave the way for a ground offensive, as it did in Gaza, something which Tel Aviv has refused to rule out.

There are several reasons why Israel would want to invade south Lebanon, with one being the idea of establishing a "buffer zone" inside Lebanese territory to stop Hezbollah from returning there. However, this seems unlikely, given it would entail Israel occupying Lebanon, something that would attract fierce resistance from Hezbollah, which is much more powerful than Hamas.

The purpose of any invasion as part of or following on from "Arrows of the North" may be an attempt to hugely degrade Hezbollah's military power in the south, regardless of the civilian cost, and push the group north of the Litani River.

By Vafa Guliyeva