The waves of attacks on Sunday came amid diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire in the conflict. Hezbollah fired about 250 projectiles into Israel on Sunday, a day after an Israeli strike in the heart of the Lebanese capital killed more than 25 people.
The aerial assault was one of the largest launched by Hezbollah against Israel since the Lebanese militant group started shelling Israel a year ago in support of Hamas militants in Gaza. It also came at a time of varied diplomacy was being initiated to try to stall the escalating fighting in Lebanon.
More than 65 persons were injured in the air strike yesterday in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Rescue workers continued to sift through the rubble on Sunday, bringing the death toll to at least 29 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. Three Israeli defense officials said the strike was an attempt to assassinate a senior Hezbollah military commander: Mohammad Haidar. Mr. Haidar wasn't killed, one of the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the military operations are sensitive.
Air raid sirens blared across much of Israel on Sunday, including in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and the hilltop town of Safed. By evening, the Israeli military reported that about 250 projectiles-a term often used to refer to rockets-had been launched, with some intercepted by air defense systems.
Israel's emergency rescue service, Magen David Adom said it had treated at least six people with injuries. It also posted pictures of cars engulfed by fires in central Israel.
Lebanon's Hezbollah said it fired several salvos of rockets at Israel on Sunday.
One of the salvos — it said it aimed for an army installation in Tel Aviv around 6:30 a.m. — was a response to Israel's attack on Beirut, the militant group said. The Israeli military did not report an attack aimed at Tel Aviv around that time, and The New York Times could not independently verify the claim by Hezbollah.".
Fire was exchanged after the Israeli military said it had struck what it called militant infrastructure near a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon. It also warned residents to evacuate five villages in southern Lebanon and at least two buildings in Dahiya, an area just south of Beirut that the Israelis consider a stronghold of Hezbollah. In a statement Sunday, the Israeli military said it had struck what it called Hezbollah "command centers" in the area.
Israel has continued to intensify its ground assault against Hezbollah in Lebanon, apparently as an effort to ratchet up pressure on the militant group to accept a deal for a cease-fire. The more Israeli troops advanced toward southern Lebanon, the army stepped up the onslaught against Dahiya, a cluster of neighborhoods on the southern periphery of Beirut that Hezbollah essentially controls.
Many regional and U.S. officials say that terms for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah now beginning to emerge, but the extent of cautious optimism will have to be tempered by critical details still to be worked out about implementation and enforcement and the possibility that any deal could be derailed by disagreements.
Both Israel and Hezbollah said they will keep fighting as negotiations continue.
The Lebanese military blamed Israel on Sunday for shelling one of its centers in the south, killing a soldier and wounding 18 others, some of them seriously. An Israeli military spokesman was not immediately available for comment. It has insisted that it is not targeting the Lebanese military, but the Hezbollah militia.
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Lebanon's caretaker prime minister said the deadly attack was "a direct bloody message of rejection of the efforts to reach a cease-fire.".
Lebanon's Mr. Mikati met Sunday with Josep Borrell Fontanelles, the European Union's top diplomat, as talks continue towards a cease-fire. Mr. Borrell has warned that Lebanon was "on the brink of collapse" and to reporters said there was only one way forward: "An immediate cease-fire and a full implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701."
The United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 1701 unanimously in August 2006 under the terms of a cease-fire that ended Israel's last war with Lebanon. This resolution had foreseen a buffer zone in southern Lebanon intended to keep fighting between Israel and Hezbollah from escalating but has seemingly failed at keeping the peace.
"We need to push the Israeli government and continue pushing Hezbollah to accept" a ceasefire plan, said Mr. Borrell.
FAQ
What was the impact of the Hezbollah strikes on Israeli infrastructure?
The recent Hezbollah strikes on Israel had a significant impact on infrastructure in urban areas. After launching about 250 projectiles into Israel on November 24, 2024, several key points came out about damage and effects from these attacks:
Damage to Infrastructure
Residential Buildings: According to the Israeli military, some of the rockets have struck residential neighborhoods, causing extensive damage. For example, one rocket hit a building in Petah Tikva causing fires and all forms of destruction. Reports indicated that houses were left burning and in ruins, and police confirmed multiple impact sites around Tel Aviv and its suburbs.
Casualties and Injuries: At least seven people were injured in the attacks, some of whom were wounded by shrapnel from the blasts. Damage was also reported in Haifa, where a rocket slammed into a residential structure, leaving it prone to collapse.
Damage to Strategic Assets: Hezbollah said that it struck military locations, among them was the Ashdod naval base and other armed installations within Tel Aviv. Several days after the attack, the extent of damage to these facilities remains to be determined. These facilities are strategic to Israel's defense lines
Has Hezbollah's attacks affected Israel's water resources and its agriculture?
Hezbollas recent attacks against Israel have furthered tremendous fears regarding the consequences this could have on the water supply and agricultural sectors of the country. The struggle has increased the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and is straining especially its sectors dealing with water resources and farming.
Impact on Water Supply
Desalination Plants: Desalination is used as a major source of water supply in Israel, supplying approximately 85% of the country's drinking water. Attacks on desalination plants could sharply exacerbate Israel's water scarcity situation, potentially resulting in health crises caused by scarcity and lack of safe drinking water.
Hezbollah has made explicit threats against such infrastructure, suggesting that missile or drone attacks against desalination plants could have disastrous ramifications for Israel's water safety and security.
Damage to Water Infrastructure: Recent bombardments of urban infrastructure have destroyed water supply facilities, thereby cutting off supplies to thousands of residents. For example, Israeli bombardments have reportedly targeted what it deems the water supply facilities for approximately 100,000 residents, thereby denying them access to clean drinking water24. This is further exacerbated by the concern of possible contamination through military operations especially in areas of reported application of chemicals such as white phosphorus
To what extent does Israel depend on desalination plants for its domestic water supply?
font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In Israel, the utilization of desalination plants contributes much to meeting the country's need for potable water in a situation characterized by water scarcity. Here are the more general details about reliance on desalination on the part of Israel:
Contribution from Desalination: It is stated that desalination contributes to around 85-90 % of Israel's water consumption per year. It has sharply increased from earlier years when desalination water provided only around 25% of the drinking water requirements.
Production Capacity: Israel has established five large desalination plants along its Mediterranean coastline that collectively produce about 585 million cubic meters of fresh water a year. This has transformed Israel into a "model of water sustainability"
through which the country was able to cut its dependency on conventional freshwater sources, such as the Sea of Galilee. Sea levels have been declining in this water body due to climate change and continued over-withdrawal from it.
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