Israel Airstrikes Lebanon as Hezbollah and Iran Launch Counterattacks | WPN World People News

The conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, with no signs of easing regional tensions. Early Friday morning local time, Israel launched overnight attacks on Hezbollah positions inside Lebanon. After ordering some residents to evacuate, Israeli forces carried out intensive airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Israeli military said it conducted 26 strikes throughout the night, targeting command centers and weapons storage facilities.

Meanwhile, Iranian media claimed that Iran had shot down U.S. and Israeli drones. Qatar and Saudi Arabia also reported successfully intercepting attacks targeting U.S. military bases within their territories, indicating that the conflict is gradually expanding.

As Israel intensified its offensive, Lebanon’s Hezbollah also responded with military action. The group warned residents near the Israeli border to evacuate as soon as possible and launched attacks into Israeli territory. Lebanon had already been drawn into the conflict earlier this week when Hezbollah struck Israel, triggering a new round of military confrontation. Israel subsequently expanded its strikes in southern Lebanon, deployed additional troops to the border area, and urged local civilians to leave potential combat zones.

Several Lebanese sources familiar with the deployments revealed that Hezbollah has sent its elite **Radwan Force** to southern areas near the border to counter advancing Israeli troops. According to the sources, the unit received orders on the 2nd to join the fighting, with missions including preventing Israeli tanks from entering certain areas. The town of Khiam has reportedly become one of the main battle zones. These forces had previously withdrawn north of the Litani River following the ceasefire arrangement after the 2024 Israel–Lebanon war, but their redeployment now signals a renewed deterioration of the situation.

At the same time, after large-scale airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, Tehran and its allies have begun retaliatory actions. Israel recently ordered a mass evacuation of residents in southern Beirut, causing severe traffic congestion and affecting an estimated 500,000 people. Hezbollah also used social media to warn Israeli residents near the border to leave the area, accusing Israeli forces of violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have so far killed at least 123 people and wounded hundreds more. In addition, Israeli forces have continued striking targets in Iran’s capital, Tehran, raising the risk that the conflict could further expand.