Dozens of Israeli fighter jets bombed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon today, killing hundreds of people, Lebanese officials said. The strikes, which included an attempted assassination of a top Hezbollah commander, were the deadliest in Lebanon since 2006, during the last Israel-Hezbollah war.
The attacks were the latest in a series of attempts by Israel to break the resolve of the Iranian-backed militant group. It controls scores of villages across southern Lebanon and has been firing rockets and drones at Israel since last October, in support of its ally, Hamas. But so far, Hezbollah has vowed to continue its attacks: The group fired about 165 rockets and other munitions into Israel today, according to the Israeli military.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli public to expect “complicated days” ahead, as Israel seeks to “change the balance of security” along its northern border with Lebanon. The Pentagon also said it would send additional U.S. troops to the region because of the rising tensions.
The bombardments came a day before world leaders were to gather in New York for the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, where Israel’s conflicts with both Hezbollah and Hamas are expected to be major topics of debate.