Cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah intensify as Gaza conflict threatens to expand regionally.
The border between Israel and Lebanon saw a dramatic escalation in hostilities on Thursday, as Israeli forces and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah engaged in a fierce exchange of aerial attacks. This latest flare-up, part of months-long confrontations, has raised serious concerns about the ongoing Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip potentially spilling over into a broader regional conflict.
Hezbollah announced it had launched over 200 rockets at Israeli military bases, deploying “explosive drones” in response to Israel’s assassination of one of its commanders the previous day. The assault triggered air raid sirens across northern Israel. The Israeli military reported intercepting many of the rockets while launching retaliatory airstrikes on Hezbollah’s launch sites in Lebanon.
These attacks unfolded as Israeli officials deliberated over Hamas’s response to a new cease-fire proposal, which includes the release of hostages held in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office disclosed that Israel is considering “some ideas” communicated by Hamas to Qatari mediators.
On Thursday, an Israeli government official revealed that a delegation had been dispatched to negotiate a hostage release deal with Hamas. Meanwhile, Netanyahu prepared for a crucial meeting with his security cabinet to review Hamas’s new positions regarding the cease-fire.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu held a conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday. Biden, who has been striving to broker a truce for months, supported Netanyahu’s decision to send negotiators to work with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators to finalize the deal.
“The President welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal,” the White House stated, reaffirming Biden’s strong commitment to Israel’s security amid threats from Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah.
The mediating countries — Qatar, Egypt, and the United States — have been tirelessly working to secure a deal that would free hostages and cease hostilities. Hamas’s latest proposals align with a three-phase plan Biden introduced in late May.
In parallel, the United Nations expressed deep concern over Israel’s recent evacuation order affecting significant portions of the Khan Younis and Rafah governorates, impacting up to 250,000 civilians. Andrea De Domenico, head of the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs in the Palestinian territories, highlighted the massive displacement this order has caused. “What we saw in the last two days is a constant flow of people moving out,” De Domenico reported from Jerusalem.
He described the operational challenges faced by U.N. agencies and their partners due to the evacuation, noting the daily struggle to deliver aid. Israel has repeatedly urged Palestinians to leave certain areas ahead of military offensives, ostensibly to protect civilians. However, these evacuations have led to repeated displacements for many.
De Domenico pointed out that 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced at least once, and some as many as ten times, since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in October. He emphasized the dire conditions in the designated “safe zones” along the coast, which are overcrowded and lack basic amenities.
“Nowhere and no one is safe in Gaza,” he warned. “We have seen over and over military operations and bombardment happening also in the heart of the humanitarian safe zone declared by Israel.”
The conflict, ignited by a Hamas-led militant attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulted in around 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of over 250 hostages, predominantly civilians. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has led to more than 38,000 deaths and 87,000 injuries in Gaza, according to the enclave’s health ministry, leaving the region devastated.
As the situation deteriorates, the possibility of a broader regional conflict looms, with international mediators striving to navigate a path to peace amidst the rising tensions.
