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Illustration by Dulce Maria Pop-Bonini.

What Is Happening in Lebanon?

(Almost) everything you need to know about attacks on Lebanon over the last two weeks.

Sep 29, 2024

On Sept. 17, as reported by Reuters, Lebanon had accused Israel of killing nine people and wounding 3000 others. The explosions occurred in Southern Beirut, particularly in the Dahiyeh and Bekaa Valley suburbs. Pagers belonging to employees of various Hezbollah units and institutions exploded simultaneously in several locations.
On the first day of the attacks, the Lebanese Information Minister, Ziad Makary, as quoted by Reuters, “condemned” the detonation of the handheld devices regularly used by both Hezbollah and civilians. He described it as an “Israeli aggression,” and Hezbollah stated that Israel “would receive its fair punishment” in retaliation for the blasts. A Hezbollah official also commented that they considered this to be the “biggest security breach” for the group since October. The Israeli military declined to respond to questions about the blasts. By the end of Tuesday, Hezbollah confirmed that among the deaths were two of their fighters and a 10-year-old girl.
There were reports explaining how this happened and Reuters cited The New York Times, stating that Israel had hidden explosive materials in “Taiwan-made Gold Apollo pagers before they were imported to Lebanon,” citing American and other officials briefed on the operation. They also reported a switch on the pagers that was detonated remotely. Additionally, the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, commented on the blasts calling them an “‘escalation’ that will only lead Israel to ‘failure and defeat.’” The UN special coordinator for Lebanon also said this “‘marked an extremely concerning escalation’ in the conflict.”
On Sept. 18, another Reuters article reported that more communication devices detonated late Wednesday afternoon across the south of Beirut. At least one of the blasts was heard near the funeral organized by Hezbollah for the people who died the previous day. Over both days, at least 37 people died and thousands more were wounded when pagers, walkie-talkies, and then booby-trapped radios exploded in Lebanon’s capital. These blasts caused panic among Lebanese people, fearing that other electronic devices could explode in their pockets. People who died or were wounded in the blasts include “Hezbollah fighters, medics, and administrative staff.” By Thursday, it was revealed that at least two of the dead were children, who suffered fatal injuries after their fathers' pagers blew up.
On Sept. 19, Israeli jets carried out huge sonic booms over Beirut as the Hezbollah leader gave a speech, leading to further panic around Lebanon.
The director of the World Health Organization stated that the blasts and explosions were taking a toll on the fragile healthcare system in Lebanon. 100 hospitals were said to be involved in the response to these blasts. Hossein Salami, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander, told Hezbollah’s Chief Hassan Nasrallah that Israel will face a "crushing response from the axis of resistance," typically seen as the Iran-aligned Hezbollah, Yemeni’s Houthis, and Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces.
On Thursday afternoon, Israel launched multiple attacks across southern Lebanon. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, said that Israel will continue their military actions against Hezbollah. Lebanese security sources said that it was “some of the most intense bombings” since October. Nasrallah said that these explosions “crossed all red lines” and that “the enemy went beyond all controls, laws, and morals,” adding that they “could be considered war crimes or a declaration of war.” Israel claimed that its jets, which included more than 52 strikes across southern Lebanon after 9 p.m., hit multiple rocket launchers that were going to be fired toward them.
On Sept. 20, Israel reported that Lebanon launched around 150 rockets toward Israel in seven separate attacks, as stated by Hezbollah. Then, the Israeli military announced that they carried out a “targeted strike” on Beirut. Additionally, security sources said that top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil was killed on Friday during the Israeli strikes on Southern Beirut. He was killed with other Hezbollah members as they were holding a meeting.
On Sept. 21, Hezbollah announced that another top commander, Ahmed Wahbi, was killed on Friday by an Israeli strike. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that at least 14 people died in the strike, mentioning that this was likely not the final number and expecting it to increase through the night. They also mentioned that at least 66 people were injured, nine of whom were in critical condition. Another security source said that at least six other Hezbollah commanders died by missiles.
On Sept. 22, Hezbollah announced that it had launched rockets at an Israeli military complex in Haifa as an initial response and retaliation to the blasts. Israel and Hezbollah continued to exchange fire into Sunday, with the Israeli military saying they had struck around 290 targets in total and that they would continue to hit more targets. Israel also closed their schools and some gatherings in the northern areas and ordered their hospitals to move their operations to “facilities with extra protection from rocket and missile fire.” Sirens were heard across Israel as rockets were launched from Lebanon and Iraq, most of which were intercepted by the aerial defense systems. Several Israeli buildings were hit and damaged near Haifa.
On Sep. 23, Iranian security officials told Reuters that Iran’s elite Revolutionary Corps had stopped using any type of communication devices after Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies blew up in the past week. They are currently inspecting all of their devices and conducting a thorough investigation of Iranian personnel. At this point, Israel has still neither confirmed nor denied their involvement in the blasts. On this Monday, Israel’s military said they launched airstrikes against Hezbollah targets, and Lebanese authorities said that 492 people died, including 35 children, wounded 1,645 people, and displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese.
On Monday evening itself, Israel began striking southern Lebanon attacking senior Hezbollah leader, Ali Karaki. Hezbollah stated that he was safe and was moved to a more secure location. However, Hamas reported that its armed wing field commander, Mahmoud al Nader, died in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon. In response, Hezbollah launched missiles at a military base in northern Israel. Sirens sounded across northern Israel and the northern part of the occupied West Bank. “​​Gallant said the campaign would continue until the residents had returned to their homes. Hezbollah for its part has vowed to fight until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.” Additionally, civilians in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley were told to evacuate because the Israeli military spokesperson, said that Hezbollah has weapons in those houses and they told civilians to evacuate immediately.
On Sep. 24, Turkey released a statement saying that Israel’s recent attacks on Lebanon were “efforts to drag the region into chaos” and that international measures should be taken against them. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also said that countries that “unconditionally support Israel” were helping Benjamin Netanyahu “shed blood for his political interests.” Various flights to and from Beirut were canceled on Tuesday, with around 15 outgoing and 29 incomings from a variety of airlines. The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner Volker Turk said that, “the methods and means of warfare that are being used raise very serious concerns about whether this is compliant with international humanitarian law.” She also said that “whether you’ve sent out a warning you’re telling civilians to flee doesn’t make it okay to then strike those areas, knowing full well that the impact on civilians will be huge.”
The WHO official in Lebanon, Abdinasir Abubakar, said that the hospitals were “overwhelmed” by the thousands wounded and that there were at least four healthcare workers who died on Monday. Hezbollah also said that on Tuesday, Israel was dropping leaflets with a “very dangerous” barcode in the Bekaa Valley and that scanning the code would “withdraw all information” from the device used to scan. Two security sources also said that an Israeli airstrike targeted a Hezbollah commander in the Ghobeiry neighborhood in South Lebanon. The sources did not identify who had been the target and what his fate was. Hezbollah also announced that it launched drones targeting an Israeli base in the south of Haifa. Lastly, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador said that Israel is “not eager to start any ground invasion anywhere … [they] prefer a diplomatic solution.”
On Sept. 25, Hezbollah confirmed that Israel killed a senior commander, Ibrahim Qubaisi, the day before. Israel said that Qubaisi was the group’s missile and rocket force leader. The Health Minister, Firass Abiad said that 569 people died, including 50 children, and 1,835 injured. The UN Security Council said they would meet on Wednesday to discuss the conflict. Reuters said that “Israel brought Lebanon’s deadliest day since the end of a 1975-1990 civil war” and that Britain was putting troops in Cyprus to help evacuate their nationals when they escaped Lebanon. The foreign minister said that half a million people had to leave their homes. The U.S. continues to say that they are working on “diplomatic efforts” and “ceasefire proposals”, but no significant progress has been made so far, and Israel suggested that it could “add a ground incursion in Lebanon to its expanding campaign of strikes against Hezbollah.”
On Sept. 26, Reuters reported that France, the U.S., and allies were working on a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. This would be done to gain time for broader negotiations. The day before, Israel expanded the war by launching an attack that took the lives of at least an additional 72 people and wounded 223. The Israeli Foreign Minister rejected the ceasefire proposal, while Benjamin Netanyahu said he had not responded but told the army to continue the operation. In addition to Britain, Australia has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon due to the risk of airport closure and difficulty evacuating if the situation worsens.
On Sept. 27, another 28 people died in air strikes, including Hezbollah’s head of air force units, Mohammad Surur. On the Israeli border with Lebanon, they simulated a ground invasion as part of their potential next stage of the war. On the Lebanese border with Syria, more than 30,000 people, mostly Syrians, crossed into Syria in the past 72 hours; about half were children and adolescents. The UNHCR’s representative in Syria said, “They are crossing from a country at war to one that has faced a crisis conflict for 13 years.” An Israeli source said that Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was targeted by an Israeli strike but they are unaware whether he was hit or not. Nasrallah remained unreachable during Friday evening and Hezbollah had not made a statement yet. The Israeli military told Lebanese residents to get at least 500 meters away from three specific buildings in the area in the densely populated neighborhoods of south Beirut.
On Sept. 28, the Israeli military said that they were “on high alert for a broader conflict” after they aimed to attack Nasrallah. Later on Saturday, Hezbollah officially confirmed Hassan Nasrallah’s death and stated that it would continue fighting “in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.” Additionally, after Israel warned air traffic control at the Beirut airport that it would use “force” if an Iranian aircraft landed, Lebanon’s transport ministry blocked the plane from entering its airspace. A security source also told Reuters that the closest strike yet to the airport has hit an industrial area 500 meters from Beirut airport but the airport was said to be operating normally. While this was happening, the Israeli Defence Minister was discussing expanding the military offensive to the northern front of Lebanon. Iran called for the UN Security Council to talk about Israel’s actions in Lebanon and the region.
On Sept. 29, Israel continued to strike multiple targets in Lebanon and said that it attacked another senior member of Hezbollah, Nabil Kaouk. Hezbollah has not commented on his state yet. The Israeli navy said that it intercepted a projectile from the Red Sea and another eight from Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry said that on Saturday, 33 people died, bringing the death toll to over 1,000 people and more than 6,000 wounded in two weeks. Lebanon’s Information Minister said that they were working on diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire with Israel.
This is the information available until Sunday, Sept. 29, 3 p.m. GST. Any information released after this time was published after the writing of this article.
Dana Mash'Al is Senior Columns Editor. Email them at feedback@thegazelle.org.
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