The conflict in Lebanon has escalated dramatically in recent weeks as Israel has carried out a string of assassinations of top Hezbollah leaders and launched ground operations into southern Lebanon that expanded further this week.
Hezbollah is the most formidably armed of Iran’s proxy forces across the Middle East and has been acting in support of Palestinian militants fighting Israel in Gaza.
Israel has said that troops from as many as four divisions have operated inside Lebanon since the first announcement of the ground operation on Oct 1, but it has not confirmed that they have established a permanent presence there.
Hezbollah says it has clashed with Israeli troops on Lebanese soil, including with artillery fire and rockets, but that it has managed to push the troops back and prevent them from holding territory in Lebanon.
Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon has killed more than 2,100 people, most of them in the last two weeks, and forced 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has no choice but to strike Hezbollah so that tens of thousands of Israelis can return to homes they fled under Hezbollah rocket fire.
Burn victims from Israeli strikes are being treated at the burn unit in Beirut’s Geitaoui hospital, the only one of its kind in the country. Reuters journalists saw nurses gently change the gauze on patients, some of whom were wrapped neck down because of the severity of burns.
Mahmoud Dhaiwi, a Lebanese soldier, told Reuters he was off duty and heading to the beach when his car was hit by an Israeli strike. His whole body has been burned. Since then he hasn’t been able to sleep and has suffered from crippling anxiety.
Overnight, Israel again bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs and said it had killed a figure responsible for budgeting and logistics for Hezbollah, Suhail Hussein Husseini.
