Over the past few weeks, the simmering tensions between the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah and Israel have escalated to a point where, today, Israel is openly preparing its troops for the outbreak of a full-blown war, which media and experts are speculating may only be weeks away.
Biden administration officials have recently been cautioning Israeli leaders almost daily against escalating the conflict, fearing a wider regional war that could pull in Iran and its proxies is becoming inevitable.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8 of last year, after declaring its support for Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Since that day, the Lebanese terrorists have been firing on Israeli targets almost daily, only stopping for a longer period during the hostage deal truce in November.
Israel, in response, moved large numbers of IDF troops to the northern border, fearing a large-scale assault similar to the one Hamas carried out on Oct. 7.
However, the first days of fighting proved that Hezbollah sought only to launch enough attacks to be seen as supporting Hamas, without provoking an all-out war with Israel.
In recent months, the group has escalated its attacks to the degree that many in Israel see a war to push Hezbollah back from the border as inevitable.
Over more than eight months, Hezbollah so far fired over 5,000 rockets, drones, anti-tank missiles and mortar grenades at Israel, to the clip of about 10 attacks per day.
Around 80,000 residents from northern Israel were forced to evacuate their homes, with approximately 60,000 still displaced in their own country.
Communities located up to several kilometers from the border have been evacuated, with residents either receiving a small living stipend or being housed in hotels around the country by the government.
They have been watching for almost nine months as Hezbollah terrorists have been destroying their homes. In some communities close to the border, the terrorists have been picking off homes on one street after the other, destroying large parts of the towns.
At least 947 buildings have been significantly damaged by Hezbollah’s drones, rockets and missiles, so far.
As temperatures have risen over the past months, Hezbollah’s projectiles landing in open areas have increasingly sparked wildfires. These blazes have threatened homes, destroyed fields and natural parks, and incinerated about 20,000 acres.
In the exchanges of fire, Hezbollah has killed 10 Israeli civilians and 15 IDF soldiers and reservists.
The IDF has responded with artillery and tank shelling, as well as waves of airstrikes, including in areas deep inside Lebanese territory, far away from the Israeli border.
Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of 349 of its members in the Israeli strikes, with most being killed in Lebanon but some dying in Syria. Israel estimates that the true number of killed terrorists is even higher.
In addition, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed 63 terrorists from other groups allied with Hezbollah, including the local Hamas branch, as well as one soldier of the Lebanese army, and dozens of Lebanese civilians, some of whom were associated with Hezbollah-affiliated organizations.
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