Overview
Both Israel and Hezbollah confirmed this Saturday the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah. While Netanyahu paraded before the UN, the IDF was planning Nasrallah’s and other IRGC/Hezbollah commanders’ executions. After the Mossad pager attack last week, both Hezbollah’s communication and command structures have been severely compromised, yet Hezbollah remains powerful in terms of size and weaponry, thanks to Iran. Israel’s tactics of dismantling communication structures and consequently annihilating Hezbollah’s leadership are clearly designed to encourage factionalism within Hezbollah and disrupt its operational capabilities. The strikes that killed Nasrallah occurred in a highly built-up residential area, killing over 300 people and highlighting Israel’s lack of regard for human life. But this has been made evident ever since the settlers began their expansion, cruel and entitled: the Israeli Government continues to disregard international law thus degrading the purpose and value of international organisations such as the UN.
Israel and Hezbollah Escalations
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has escalated significantly over the last 3 weeks, especially after Mossad’s coordinated attack on Hezbollah, blowing up pagers and walkie talkies, leaving thousands blinded and crippled and 42 dead, including a 10-year-old schoolgirl. In response, Hezbollah launched retaliatory rocket attacks on northern Israel, targeting areas such as Nazareth and Kiryat Bialik, which resulted in injuries to Israeli civilians. The IDF reported that Hezbollah fired over 300 rockets into northern Israel from September 13 – September 27.
In retaliation, the IDF launched approximately 220 airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, including military sites and infrastructure, causing widespread damage in southern Lebanon and Beirut. Lebanon's health ministry reported that these airstrikes resulted in over 630 deaths, a significant portion of them civilians, and more than 2,000 injured.
This escalation has killed over 700 Lebanese, primarily in Hezbollah-controlled areas, leading to a humanitarian crisis. Nearly 30,000 people have fled into Syria, worsening the refugee situation in the region.
Despite a U.S.-France-proposed ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected any halt to the operations, declaring that Israel would not stop until Hezbollah’s military infrastructure is dismantled.
Over 50,000 civilians have fled to Syria according to the UN
Israel and Hamas Updates
Hamas has maintained its rocket attacks on Israel, with hundreds fired at southern Israeli towns and cities, although many have been intercepted by the Iron Dome. Israel's airstrikes in Gaza have proven to be extremely destructive and severe, targeting Hamas’s military assets, including tunnels, weapon storage sites, and command centres.
However, the strikes have mainly impacted Gaza's civilian infrastructure, with extreme destruction reported in neighbourhoods across the territory. The Israeli government has emphasized the necessity of these strikes to cripple Hamas’s military operations, but human rights organizations have raised concerns about the growing civilian casualties and the humanitarian disaster in the strip. Although international pressure for a ceasefire has mounted, Israel insists its military objectives must be achieved to prevent future threats.
Gaza Death Toll
The death toll in Gaza has been catastrophic, with nearly 2000 Palestinians killed so far in September, including a significant number of women, children and elderly civilians.
Civilian casualties have sparked international outrage, with humanitarian organizations calling for an immediate halt to the fighting. Gaza's hospitals are overwhelmed, and essential supplies like food, water, and medical aid are running critically low. Many neighbourhoods have been completely destroyed, forcing tens of thousands of Gazans to flee their homes.
International calls for a ceasefire have intensified but the ongoing military campaigns suggest that the humanitarian crisis will likely worsen.
Tensions between Iran and the West.
Iran has played a prominent role in the recent escalation, with Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis directly engaging in attacks on Israel. Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, have openly supported these factions, calling for an end to Israeli "barbarism" in Lebanon and Gaza.
Diplomatic tensions have risen sharply between Iran and Western nations, with the West accusing Iran of supplying weapons to Hezbollah and the Houthis. Despite these accusations, Iran continues to assert that Hezbollah is acting in self-defence against Israeli aggression.
Iran's involvement in the conflict took a dramatic turn on September 21, 2024, when it launched direct missile and drone attacks on Israel from its own territory, marking the first open Iranian strike on Israeli soil. Israel intercepted most of the missiles, however many landed in places like downtown Tel Aviv, with reports and video footage also suggesting certain Israeli air bases were hit.
Western countries, including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, condemned Iran's actions, describing them as a dangerous escalation that could lead to broader regional conflict. Iran’s leadership framed the attack as retaliation for Israeli strikes in Syria and against Iranian interests. The West has also been divided on how to respond, with some advocating for increased sanctions while others call for diplomatic engagement to prevent the situation from spiralling into a wider war.
Post Nasrallah’s death, the Iranian supreme leader was moved to a “secure location”. After losing several high-profile commanders alongside Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas in July, Iran’s weaknesses are becoming increasingly evident, it’s Axis of Terror appears to be crumbling, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has lost key commanders including its deputy commander this week. The Supreme Leader Khomeini persists that these organisations will continue without their commander, and has vowed retaliation for attacks on IRCG commanders.