BEIRUT: Lebanese group Hezbollah said it fired a barrage of rockets and drones on Wednesday at three military positions in northern Israel, including near Acre and Haifa, in a simultaneous operation that it said bypassed Israeli defences.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it launched a “combined attack using a swarm of drones and advanced rockets,” adding that they “hit their targets accurately”.
Meanwhile, Israel launched a large-scale assault on Baalbek and its surroundings following the forced evacuation of thousands of residents. Lebanon’s health ministry said that 11 people were killed and 15 others were injured in Israeli air strikes on a town in the eastern Bekaa Valley.
“The successive raids by the Israeli enemy on the town of Sohmor in west Bekaa… resulted in the martyrdom of 11 people and the injury of 15 others,” the health ministry said in a statement.
Israeli military attacks have focused on Baalbek and its surrounding areas, including Douris, Ain Bourday, and Iaat, after a three-hour evacuation warning issued by the Israeli army. Thousands of residents are still stranded in these areas despite previous Israeli attacks.
The Israeli military warned Baalbek residents, accompanied by a map highlighting extensive target areas that included the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Residents scrambled to secure transportation and take whatever belongings they could. The city was soon congested with traffic as evacuation calls echoed through civil defence teams, mosques and churches.
On Wednesday, Senior US officials were traveling to Israel to seek progress on deals to end the Gaza and Lebanon wars, the State Department confirmed.
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“Two White House officials, Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, are traveling to Israel to engage on issues including a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon, as well as how we get to an end to the conflict in Gaza,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hezbollah’s newly appointed leader, Naim Qassem, said that the Lebanese group is open to a ceasefire with Israel under “suitable” conditions, though he noted that a viable deal has not yet been proposed.
Qassem, who was named Hezbollah’s secretary-general on Tuesday, made his remarks in a pre-recorded speech, marking his first public statement since taking over the role following the assassination of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, by Israeli forces in September.
“If the Israelis decide they want to stop the aggression, we say we accept, but under the conditions that we see as appropriate and suitable,” Qassem said. However, he said that Hezbollah would not “beg for a ceasefire” and expressed dissatisfaction with current diplomatic efforts, saying, “No project has been proposed that Israel agrees to and that we can discuss.”
While Qassem’s statement suggested a willingness for dialogue, he did not condition a truce with Israel on the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, a stance that Nasrallah had previously upheld.
Qassem warned Israel to retreat to avoid further losses, saying, “Get out of our land to reduce your losses. If you stay, you will pay more than you have ever paid in your life.” He vowed that Hezbollah is prepared to sustain fighting “for days, weeks, and months.”
Qassem pledged to uphold the late Nasrallah’s wartime strategies. “My work programme is a continuation of the work programme of our leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” he affirmed, vowing to continue the “war plan” Nasrallah developed.
The call for a ceasefire from Hezbollah’s new leadership coincides with Israeli discussions on potential truce terms. Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel’s security cabinet is considering conditions for a 60-day truce with Hezbollah.
Channel 12, an Israeli broadcaster, reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with ministers on Tuesday to outline Israel’s requirements, which reportedly include a Hezbollah pullback north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border, deployment of Lebanese army forces along the frontier, and an international enforcement mechanism.
Israel also seeks a guarantee to maintain operational freedom in case of perceived threats. Talks are expected to continue this week. US President Joe Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and special envoy Amos Hochstein are scheduled to arrive in the region to discuss terms with Israeli officials.
