Lebanese Hezbollah has announced launching a “large number of rockets” at Haifa, a major city in northern Israel, exactly one year after its initial attacks on its neighbour.
This comes as cross-border conflicts have escalated into open warfare in Lebanon.
The Iranian-backed movement, which lost its leader to an Israeli strike in late September, claims that “a large number of (Israeli) settlements and cities are under the fire of resistance rockets”.
The Israeli military reported intercepting approximately 85 projectiles fired from Lebanon towards Israeli territory.
🚨Sirens sounding in Haifa exactly a year after Hezbollah started attacking Israelis on October 8🚨 pic.twitter.com/wI4DUJhMYO
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 8, 2024
In response, Israel conducted strikes against “Hezbollah terrorist targets” in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Simultaneously, Israel has deepened its ground offensive in Gaza, sending tanks further into Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian doctors report casualties in Jabalia but are unable to reach areas under fire.
The Israeli military claims that its forces are attempting to stop Hamas fighters organising attacks from Jabalia and prevent their regrouping.
Gaza residents have been sharing messages on social media saying “Jabalia is being obliterated”.
WATCH 🚨
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 8, 2024
Heavy barrage towards Haifa pic.twitter.com/wN18ccFlut
Palestinian health officials have not released new casualty figures but note that dozens have been killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours, and that they cannot reach the area. The Israeli army announced one soldier killed in northern Gaza.
Israel has issued new evacuation orders for residents of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahia, directing them to a designated humanitarian zone in Al Mawasi, southern Gaza.
Palestinian and UN officials state there are no absolutely safe places in Gaza.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claim their fighters attacked Israeli forces in the north with anti-tank rockets, reporting Israeli casualties.
This escalation comes on the first anniversary of the war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by Hamas’s deadly attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, according to Israeli accounts.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and humanitarian conditions have severely deteriorated.
Israel, also in conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, maintains that Hamas fighters use residential areas as cover in the densely populated Palestinian enclave, including schools and hospitals. Hamas denies this claim.
