During the night, Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, and Hezbollah in turn states that it fired over 300 rockets and drones.
The rockets are supposed to be a first phase in Hezbollah’s revenge action against Israel and now the question is asked, what awaits in phase two?
– People continue to fear a large-scale war here in Lebanon, says Kassem Hamadé, Middle East correspondent at Expressen.
The night’s attacks on targets in Lebanon have caused great concern and many have been forced to flee. Kassem Hamadé, Middle East correspondent at Expressen, is on site in Saida, Lebanon.
– People are worried in Lebanon. They have been worried since the eighth of October when the war started between Hezbollah and Israel. But especially after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr, people here have been worried and waiting to see what Hezbollah’s revenge action will look like.
After the night’s attacks, in which Israel’s military attacked Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, concerns are now rising in Lebanon for further escalation.
– People continue to fear a large-scale war here in Lebanon because they know that Hezbollah has decided to continue what they call a support front in support of Hamas and Gaza as long as the war in Gaza continues.
Difficult to estimate the damage
According to an Israeli spokesman, they have attacked thousands of targets in southern Lebanon, but it is difficult to estimate the extent of the damage. Hezbollah has confirmed that three people died in the attacks, two of whom were Hezbollah members and one person from another supporting movement.
– 29 villages have been attacked during the night. According to Israel, they have destroyed thousands of rocket launchers in southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa Valley. But it is difficult to tell exactly how extensive the damage is and how many Hezbollah members have been killed in these areas, which are firmly controlled by Hezbollah, says Kassem Hamadé.
Threats of retaliation
Now both the Huthi rebels in Yemen and Iran are threatening revenge attacks against Israel.
– In July, the Huthi rebels were attacked by Israeli attack planes, when the port city of Hodeidah was attacked by Israel. Then they threatened to take revenge against Israel.
Even if the retaliation from the Huthi movement has not come, the threat still remains, says Kassem Hamadé.
– The same thing with Iran. When Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was killed in July in Tehran, Iran also threatened retaliation. So possibly phase two and phase three should come from Yemen and Iran, not necessarily from Lebanon.