During the night, Israel attacked several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, and not long after, Hezbollah responded with a large-scale attack on Israel.
Hezbollah’s attack is seen as the retaliation that Israel has been preparing for.
– It was a bit like a balloon exploding, something you had been waiting for, says Anders Ekholm, lieutenant colonel at the Norwegian Defense Academy.
Israel has carried out a so-called pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah, after receiving information that the Iran-backed militia group had launched an attack against the country.
– Approximately 100 fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force IAF are attacking what are said to be thousands of launch pads in Lebanon to prevent and prevent a larger attack, says Anders Ekholm, lieutenant colonel at the Norwegian Defense Academy.
Israel has declared a state of emergency for 48 hours after Hezbollah attacked the country with what it said were about 300 rockets fired at northern Israel.
The attack can be used as a signal policy
The attack on Israel was expected and seen as revenge for the slain Hezbollah leader. According to Anders Ekholm, Iran had also received information that the attack would take place.
– My assessment is that it was something that Iran was fully aware was going to happen. In that way, it can be seen as if the bubble that we have been waiting for for a number of weeks here would now burst, it burst. Although it wasn’t quite to the extent that I think we will see in the future.
And Anders Ekholm believes that the attack could have political consequences.
– I think this attack can be used, from an Israeli perspective, as signaling policy. Above all against Iran. But it remains to be seen until we discover the effects of the attacks fired.
Sweden is therefore affected
And it is not the first time that Israel has attacked as a preventive measure, says Anders Persson, Middle East expert and lecturer at Linnaeus University.
– For example, this is how the great war of 1967 began, with a pre-emptive attack on the part of Israel. And even in previous wars in Gaza and the so-called Second Lebanon War from 2006, Israel also struck with a surprise attack at the beginning of those wars, to gain various kinds of practical advantages.
Anders Persson believes that what is now happening in the Middle East can affect us in Sweden in a variety of ways.
– Everything from financial markets, interest rates, oil prices, inflation, to terrorist attacks, demonstrations and everything else.
He continues:
– The Middle East does not follow Las Vegas rules, that is, what happens there does not stay there.
Here you can read – this is what we know about the attacks.