Israel kills more than 30 people in Lebanon after Hezbollah enters the fray

Hezbollah has now entered the fray, launching three rockets at northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in military campaign launched by Israel and the United States. This marks the first attack from Hezbollah since the 2024 ceasefire that ended their two‑month, during which Israel continued bombing almost daily.

Although none of Hezbollah projectiles caused injuries or damage, Israel’s chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Force, Eyal Zamir, warned that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price,” and the Israeli air force began bombing southern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut. The Lebanese Ministry of Health put the death toll on Monday morning at 31, while Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, criticized both Israel and the Shiite militia for dragging the country into wars Lebanon “has nothing to do with.”

Israel’s bombings — as many as 10 in Dahiyeh (the Shiite suburbs of Beirut considered a Hezbollah stronghold) — spread fear among the population, with people fleeing in anticipation of an escalation. The same happened in the south, causing traffic jams on the roads out of the area.

When announcing the attack from Lebanon, the Israeli Armed Forces did not initially specify whether it had been carried out by Hezbollah or by Palestinian armed groups operating in Lebanon. An Israeli security official did tell local media that the retaliation would be severe.

Shortly afterward, Hezbollah claimed responsibility in a statement reporting “precision rocket battery and a swarm of drones” targeting an anti‑missile defense system south of the city of Haifa, in northern Israel. It described the attack as “revenge” for the bombing that killed Khamenei, “in defense of Lebanon and its people and in response to repeated Israeli attacks.” “The Israeli enemy cannot continue its aggression, which has lasted for 15 months,” it said in the statement. “This response constitutes legitimate defense, and it is the responsibility of the relevant officials and parties to put an end to the Israeli-American aggression against Lebanon.”

In response to the attack, Zamir said: “We have begun an offensive campaign against Hezbollah. We are not just on the defensive, now we go on the offense.” “Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight, and is fully responsible for any escalation,” continued the Israeli military leader. “Any enemy that threatens our security will pay a heavy price — we will not allow any harm to come to the people of Israel and our northern border.”

Unlike the 12‑day war Israel fought against Iran last year, in which Hezbollah stayed on the sidelines, the group is now entering the battle despite internal pressure and external threats. In recent weeks, Israel had warned the Beirut government that if Hezbollah intervened, it would bomb infrastructure, including the country’s only functioning airport; and President Aoun had already stressed on Saturday — when the offensive against Iran began — that the authority to decide “war or peace belongs exclusively to the Lebanese state.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam echoed that position after the rockets were launched at Israel. He called it an “irresponsible act” that “endangers the country’s security and integrity and provides Israel with a pretext to continue its attacks [on Lebanon].” “We will not allow the country to be drawn into new adventures and will take all necessary measures to stop those responsible and protect the Lebanese people,” he wrote.

Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s leader following Israel’s killing of Hasan Nasrallah, called the U.S.‑Israeli military campaign against Iran “criminal” and “tyrannical,” but was ambiguous about whether the group would come to the defense of its main supplier of funds and weapons.

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