The ongoing cross-border conflict between Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and Israeli forces took a dangerous turn on Wednesday, stoking concerns of a potential full-scale war.
A rocket launched from Lebanon hit the northern Israeli town of Safed, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old female soldier and injuries to at least eight others.
In retaliation, Israel launched airstrikes that claimed the lives of at least ten individuals in southern Lebanon, including a Syrian woman, her two children, four members of another family, and three Hezbollah fighters. A minimum of nine people were injured in the attack.
The current cross-border violence was ignited by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which was itself sparked by an attack on southern Israel by Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, on October 7. Although Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for Wednesday's strike, the group has pledged to continue its attacks until a cease-fire is established in Gaza.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is the Arab world's most formidable paramilitary force, boasting a robust internal structure and a substantial arsenal. Its fighters have honed their skills during Syria's 13-year conflict, where they played a crucial role in tipping the balance of power in favor of government forces.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has claimed that the group has 100,000 fighters, although other estimates suggest a figure less than half of that. Israel is urging Hezbollah to withdraw its elite Radwan Force from the border, enabling tens of thousands of displaced Israelis from northern towns and villages to return home.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, Hezbollah possesses a vast arsenal of mostly small, portable, and unguided surface-to-surface artillery rockets. The U.S. and Israel estimate that Hezbollah and other militant groups in Lebanon have approximately 150,000 missiles and rockets. Hezbollah has also been developing precision-guided missiles.
In the past, Hezbollah has launched drones into Israel and struck an Israeli warship with a surface-to-sea missile in 2006. Its forces are equipped with assault rifles, heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, roadside bombs, and other weaponry.
During the current conflict, Hezbollah has frequently utilized Russian-made portable anti-tank Kornet missiles. On rare occasions, it has launched Burkan rockets that, as per Nasrallah, can carry a warhead weighing between 660 and 1,100 pounds.
In recent weeks, Hezbollah has introduced new weapons, including a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 6 miles and a warhead weighing 110 pounds.
Israel's military, one of the best-armed in the wider Middle East, has long been supported by the United States, receiving $3.3 billion in annual funding, plus an additional $500 million for missile defense technology.
Israel's air force includes the advanced American F-35 fighter jet, missile defense batteries such as the American-made Patriot, the Iron Dome rocket-defense system, and a pair of missile-defense systems developed in collaboration with the U.S., namely the Arrow and David's Sling.
Israel has armored personnel carriers and tanks, a fleet of drones, and other technology to support any urban warfare. It has approximately 170,000 troops typically on active duty and has mobilized some 360,000 reservists for the war, which is now in its fifth month. Many of these reservists have since returned home.
Israel also maintains an undeclared nuclear weapons program.
While most analysts believe neither Hezbollah nor Israel is eager for a full-blown war, there are concerns that a miscalculation by either side could trigger a significant escalation. In recent weeks, diplomats from the U.S., France, and other countries have been dispatched to try to deescalate tensions on the border.
On Tuesday, Nasrallah responded to threats by Israeli officials to launch an offensive if his group does not withdraw its forces from the border. "If you expand (the conflict), we will expand," he warned.
Wednesday's exchange of strikes, some of which occurred relatively far from the border area, underscores the risk of the violence spiraling out of control.
The two sides previously engaged in a 34-day war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate.
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