Israel troops, Hezbollah fighters in close-range clashes in southern Lebanon
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BEIRUT – Israel and Hezbollah said they were fighting at close range in southern Lebanon on Oct 2, a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against Iran for ballistic missiles it fired at Israel
The Israeli military said it engaged in close-range encounters with Hezbollah fighters in several areas in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah said its forces clashed with Israeli units that “infiltrated” the Lebanese towns of Maroun al-Ras, about 2km from the Israel-Lebanon border, and Adaisseh.
Eight Israeli soldiers have died, according to Israel, its first combat losses since launching cross-border raids earlier this week.
Lebanon said Israeli forces breached the Blue Line – the UN-patrolled boundary that separates Israel and the occupied Golan Heights from Lebanon – entering about 400m into southern Lebanon. Israel “withdrew after a short period”, it said in a post on social media.
A spokesman for Hezbollah said the clashes on Oct 2 between its forces and the Israeli military are part of the “first round of war”.
“Our forces and resistance fighters are fully prepared to confront and resist the enemy,” Hezbollah’s Mohammad Afif told reporters.
The Israeli military said regular infantry and armoured units were joining ground operations in southern Lebanon.
It said these operations were largely aimed at destroying tunnels and other infrastructure on the border, and there were no plans for a wider operation targeting Beirut or major cities in southern Lebanon.
Yet, Israel renewed its bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah, with at least a dozen air strikes against what it said were targets belonging to the group.
Large plumes of smoke were seen rising from parts of the suburbs, which have largely emptied after days of heavy strikes.
War with Iran
Iran said on Oct 2 that its missile attack on Israel – its biggest military assault on the country – was over, barring further provocation.
Israel and the United States, however, promised to hit back.
Israel was expected to launch a “significant retaliation” within days that could target oil production facilities inside Iran and other strategic sites, US news website Axios reported, citing Israeli officials.
Iran said the Oct 1 assault on Israel was solely aimed at military facilities. Iran’s state news agency said three Israeli military bases were targeted.
Tehran said its assault was a response to Israeli killings of militant leaders
“Our action is concluded, unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X early on Oct 2.
Mr Netanyahu has vowed to strike back. and it will pay for it
Washington said it would work with long-time ally Israel to ensure Iran faced “severe consequences” for the Oct 1 attack, which Israel said involved more than 180 ballistic missiles.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant late on Oct 1 and said Washington was “well postured” to defend its interests in the Middle East, the Pentagon said in a statement.
US Navy warships fired about a dozen interceptors against Iranian missiles headed towards Israel, the Pentagon said. Britain said its forces played a part “in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East”, without elaborating.
The Pentagon said the air strikes by Iran were about twice the size of April’s assault by Iran on Israel.
‘Calls for restraint’
World leaders called on Iran and Israel to step back from the brink.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the “sickening cycle of escalation” in the Middle East, as he criticised the use of violence throughout the region by all sides, in the West Bank and on the streets of Israel.
“It is high time to stop the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff,” the UN chief told an emergency Security Council meeting that was convened on Oct 2 to discuss the Middle East situation.
“This deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop,” he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz had earlier declared Mr Guterres persona non grata in Israel and barred him from entering the country
Britain, France, Spain and Japan condemned the attack, but – along with China and Russia – sought to defuse the situation by asking Israel and Iran to stand down.
Evacuation and air disruption
Many countries, meanwhile, are ramping up plans to evacuate their citizens
In South Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered military aircraft to be deployed to evacuate South Koreans in Israel and other parts of the Middle East.
Spain said it plans to send two military aircraft to evacuate as many as 350 of its citizens from Lebanon as early as Oct 3.
Germany, which has already evacuated non-essential staff, families of embassy workers and medically vulnerable citizens from Lebanon, has urged Germans to leave Iran.
Others have chartered aircraft as the airport in Beirut remains open.
Canada has reserved 800 seats on commercial planes to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon.
The situation is also creating air travel chaos
Carriers around the world have cancelled flights to Israel and Lebanon in the wake of the escalating conflict, with many saying they will not resume until at least mid-October, depending on the security situation.
Spreading elsewhere
The conflicts in the Middle East seem to be spreading elsewhere.
In Denmark, police said three Swedish nationals were arrested after two blasts were reported in the “immediate proximity” of the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen in the early hours of Oct 3.
Swedish police said the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm was targeted in a shooting on Oct 2.
No injuries were reported from the incidents.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed anger over anti-Israel street rallies that celebrated Iran’s large-scale missile attack on its sworn enemy the previous night.
Dozens took to the streets of Berlin in joy short after Tehran rained ballistic missiles on Israel.
“I am filled with consternation and angry that such a form of violence is being celebrated,” Ms Faeser said. “Any act that glorifies and supports Hamas or Hezbollah in Germany is punishable, even on the streets.” REUTERS, AFP
