Lebanon Death Toll Rises to 37 After Suspected Israeli Attacks
The death toll from a series of suspected Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon this week has climbed to 37, raising the specter of a wider conflict, Bloomberg reports.
A second wave of explosions on Wednesday, primarily targeting funerals for Hezbollah members killed in the initial blasts, claimed the lives of 25 people and wounded over 600. The first wave on Tuesday saw thousands of pagers, primarily carried by Hezbollah, detonate across Lebanon in supermarkets, streets, and homes, killing two children and injuring around 2,300.
While Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility, it has significantly bolstered its military presence on the Lebanese border. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a “new phase” in the country’s fight against Islamist militants, indicating a shift towards more aggressive action against Hezbollah.
This escalation comes as tensions with Hamas in Gaza simmer, although the intensity of that conflict has diminished. Israel remains committed to dismantling Hamas and retrieving hostages taken during last year’s war, but its focus is increasingly shifting to Hezbollah.
In response to the attacks, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, threatened “the destruction” of Israel, calling the escalating violence “a cruel and criminal regime.”
Hezbollah, widely considered the strongest Iran-backed regional group targeting Israel, possesses tens of thousands of fighters and an arsenal of missiles and rockets, posing a significant threat to Israel’s defense systems.
