Hizbullah Joins Fray With Attacks on Northern Israeli Sites
Tensions escalate as Hizbullah targets Israeli military positions, declaring its actions as solidarity with Hamas
The Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hizbullah announced Sunday that it had targeted three locations in northern Israel. This included an Israeli radar station in the contested Shebaa Farms area near the border. In response, Israel fired artillery shells and conducted a drone strike.
Hizbullah stated that the assault was carried out “in solidarity” with Hamas, the Palestinian group that launched a large-scale air, sea, and land attack on Israel on Saturday.
“The Islamic resistance [Hizbullah] … attacked three positions of the Zionist enemy in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms … with large numbers of artillery shells and guided missiles,” said Hizbullah in a statement.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli army stated that it had fired artillery into southern Lebanon in response to incoming fire. It added that “preparational measures” had been taken in anticipation of a possible Hizbullah response, and that it would remain on high alert.
After the initial incident, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that “two more rockets were fired from the Lebanese side toward enemy positions in Shebaa Farms,” which led Israel to retaliate with a fresh barrage of artillery.
Although the flare-up resulted in no casualties, it heightened the risk of further escalation between the two sides, especially given the ongoing fighting in southern Israel and Gaza. Israel issued a warning to Hizbullah, advising them against getting involved in the fighting.
We recommend that Hizbullah not get involved. If they do, we are ready,” Army spokesman Richard Hecht told reporters.
Early on Saturday morning, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched a massive surprise offensive against Israel. They fired thousands of rockets from Gaza and infiltrated southern Israel with hundreds of fighters, resulting in at least 700 Israeli deaths and over 2,400 injuries.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported that Israeli airstrikes had resulted in at least 413 deaths and 2,300 injuries.
The situation is highly combustible and volatile. We’re uncertain about Hizbullah’s intentions.
Uzi Rabi, the director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, told The Media Line that Hamas anticipates involvement from “other fronts, including Palestinian citizens of Israel, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Lebanon.”
“The situation is highly combustible and volatile. We’re uncertain about Hizbullah’s intentions,” said Rabi, who added that Hamas decided to attack after getting approval from its main regional allies.
“Would Hamas initiate such an attack against Israel without assurance that Hizbullah, or even Iran, stand behind it?” Rabi questioned.
“Hamas operated under the assumption that their initial success could be replicated on other fronts, aiming for a multi-front attack against Israel,” he continued.
On Saturday, Hizbullah praised Hamas for its “heroic operation,” stating that its leadership was actively following developments and was “in direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance both domestically and internationally.”
Hashim Safi Al Din, the head of Hizbullah’s Executive Council, held a press conference on Sunday. He conveyed a message to the US and Israel, stating that their violations of Islamic holy sites and the “crossing of all lines” had led to the recent escalation.
The brief skirmish along the Israel-Lebanon border has heightened concerns of a more extensive conflict. Estimates suggest that Hizbullah has tens of thousands of rockets at its disposal.
Ramallah-based political analyst Fares Sarfandi told The Media Line that “Hizbullah aims to send a message to Israelis: Escalating the situation in Gaza, possibly with a land invasion, would add a new dimension to the conflict.”
Sarfandi believes that Hizbullah’s involvement in the military operation is “challenging but neither impossible nor unlikely.”
“Saturday’s attack likely involved coordination with the axis of resistance, which includes Iran, Hizbullah, or even Syria,” he said. “Thus, I believe Hamas sent a loud and clear message with the launch of the operation.”
Sarfandi added that Sunday’s attacks across the Lebanese border were “a clear signal from Hizbullah to Israel: Should things spiral out of control, they are prepared to engage on the northern front.”
He elaborated that Hamas is relying on support from its regional allies.
On Saturday, US President Joe Biden phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer the United States’ unwavering support.
“I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the government and people of Israel,” President Biden said in a written statement issued after the call.
The remarks from the US President were interpreted as an implicit warning, targeting not just Hamas but also Hizbullah, Iran, and the armed groups they support in Iraq and Syria.
“Israel has a right to defend itself and its people—full stop,” President Biden said. “Let me say this as clearly as I can. This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching.”
“This is unheard of. [President Biden] warned Israel’s enemies and that was a hint, a very blunt one toward Hizbullah and Iran not to capitalize on the situation,” Rabi explained.
According to official media outlets, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi spoke with leaders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Sunday.
“Raisi discussed the developments in Palestine in separate phone calls with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad Movement, and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the (Hamas) political bureau,” the state news agency IRNA reported, without giving further details.
“There’s a big geopolitical game that may lead to all-out war. Everybody knows if Hizbullah is entertaining the idea of attacking Israel—and it has the ability—Israel’s retaliation would be something that is unheard of,” Rabi said.
If this happens, we might be heading toward a regional conflict, a completely different scenario
Sarfandi notes that Hizbullah operates in a disciplined, calculated manner and has enhanced its military capabilities with Iran’s assistance.
“Hizbullah already has tens of thousands of fighters who are well trained, they have lots of experience, and the Israelis have been warning about Hizbullah’s power. If this happens, we might be heading toward a regional conflict, a completely different scenario,” he said.
In 2006, Hizbullah and Israel engaged in a 34-day conflict that resulted in over 1,200 casualties in Lebanon, primarily civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers. The two nations technically remain in a state of war.
