Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens in densely populated areas. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or damages. The Israeli military intercepted most of the five projectiles fired from Lebanon, with only one landing in an open area.
Simultaneously, Israel intensified its strikes in Lebanon, targeting a Hezbollah-run financial institution. This escalation occurred as U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in the region to revive ceasefire talks following the recent death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of hostages held by the group. Hamas, on the other hand, demands a lasting ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for releasing the captives.
In a separate incident, the death toll from Israeli airstrikes near a Beirut hospital rose to 13, with 57 others wounded. The strikes caused significant damage to the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Lebanon's largest public hospital.
The U.S. is striving to revive aspects of the halted ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, focusing on a post-war plan for the region. The State Department aims to create goodwill to resume ceasefire talks by making progress on the 'day-after plan.'
Iran has maintained pressure on Israel amid looming threats of Israeli retaliation. Iranian officials stated that neighboring countries would not allow their territories to be used for an assault on Iran and warned of a strong response to any Israeli attack.
Furthermore, another Israeli airstrike targeted Lebanon's main border crossing with Syria, leaving a second large crater. The Israeli military accused Hezbollah of using the crossing to transport military equipment from Syria.
