A slowly smoldering cross-border conflict between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces escalated on Wednesday, renewing fears that daily clashes could escalate into an all-out war.
A rocket fired from Lebanon landed in the northern Israeli town of Safed, killing a 20-year-old female soldier and injuring at least eight others.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes that killed at least 10 people in southern Lebanon, including a Syrian woman and her two children, four other family members, and three Hezbollah fighters. At least nine people were injured.
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The cross-border violence was sparked by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and triggered by an October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hezbollah ally Hamas.
Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for Wednesday’s attack. But he has vowed to continue attacking until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Amid concerns of further escalation, the weapons of both sides are listed below.
What are Hezbollah’s military capabilities?
Hezbollah is the Arab world’s most important militia, with a strong internal structure and vast arsenal. The country’s Iranian-backed fighters have gained experience in Syria’s 13-year civil war, which helped tilt the balance of power in favor of government forces.
Israeli medical teams evacuate people injured by rockets fired from Lebanon at Ziv Hospital in Safet, northern Israel, February 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Gil Eliyahu)
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has boasted that the group has 100,000 fighters, but some estimates put the number at less than half that number. Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw its elite Radwan forces from the border so that tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled northern towns and villages can return home.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington, Hezbollah has a vast arsenal of primarily small, portable unguided surface-to-ground artillery rockets. The United States and Israel estimate that Hezbollah and other militant groups in Lebanon have about 150,000 missiles and rockets. Hezbollah is also working on developing precision-guided missiles.
Hezbollah has previously launched drones into Israel and in 2006 attacked an Israeli warship with a surface-to-sea missile. Its forces also have assault rifles, heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, roadside bombs, and other weapons.
During the current conflict, Hezbollah frequently uses Russian-made Kornet man-made anti-tank missiles. More rarely, Nasrallah said, Burkan rockets, which can carry warheads weighing between 660 pounds and 1,100 pounds, have been fired.
In recent weeks, Hezbollah has introduced new weapons, including a surface-to-surface missile with a range of six miles and a warhead weighing 110 pounds.
What are Israel’s military capabilities?
The Israeli military has long been supported by the United States, with $3.3 billion a year in funding, plus $500 million for missile defense technology.
Israel is one of the most militarily powerful countries in the wider Middle East region. Its air force includes America’s most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, a missile defense squadron including the American-made Patriot, the Iron Dome rocket defense system, and a pair of missile defense systems developed with the United States, the Arrow and David Sling. ing.
Israel has a fleet of armored personnel carriers, tanks, drones and other technology that can support any urban warfare.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank, Israel normally has about 170,000 active-duty troops and has called up about 360,000 reservists for the war, about 40,000 of its estimated carrying capacity. It is said to be equivalent to three times. Five months into the war, many reservists have returned home.
Israel has also maintained an undeclared nuclear weapons program for many years.
How serious is the latest escalation?
Although most analysts believe there is little appetite for a full-scale war on either Hezbollah or Israel, there are concerns that miscalculation on either side could cause a major escalation. Countries including the United States and France have sent diplomats in recent weeks to try to ease border tensions.
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Prime Minister Nasrallah spoke on Tuesday in response to Israeli officials’ threats to launch an offensive if his group does not withdraw troops from the border. “If you escalate (the conflict), we will expand,” he said.
Wednesday’s exchange of strikes, some of which took place relatively far from border areas, underscores the risk of violence spilling out of control.
In 2006, the two countries fought a 34-day war that ended in a draw.
