Lebanon’s Iranian-backed militia cum political party Hezbollah fired a volley of over 200 missiles and drones into northern Israel on 4 July resulting in one reported casualty. This followed the assassination of one of its high-ranking commanders a day earlier. Mohammed Nasser commanded Hezbollah’s ‘Aziz Unit’ which Israel blames for numerous recent attacks on its territory.
This week’s Hezbollah attacks mark one of the most intense volleys since Israel begun its war in Gaza following Hamas’ 7 October assault on southern Israel. Despite strong rhetorical support for Hamas, both Hezbollah and Iran have appeared at pains to avoid a wider escalation with Israel. However Israeli PM Netanyahu has in recent weeks signaled that he plans a major assault on Hezbollah and its southern Lebanon power base. (CONTINUED - 126 WORDS)