In yet another escalation of the 222-day war, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets toward northern Israel today, with at least 30 projectiles reported to have struck the Mount Meron area.
Air raid sirens blared across the Galilee region, sending residents scrambling for shelter. The attack comes just a day after Israel took responsibility for assassinating Hussein Maki, a senior field commander in Hezbollah's southern front. Maki coordinated with the Iranian general killed in Damascus Reza Zahedi by an alleged Israeli attack several weeks ago, and was one of Hassan Nasrallah's important emissaries.
Video: The attacks on Mount Meron on May 15, 2024 / Credit: Usage under Israeli intellectual property law section 27a
The Israeli strike appears to have prompted the retaliatory Hezbollah rocket attacks. Senior Hamas officials had also met with Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah to coordinate their future moves against Israel prior to the escalation.
Meanwhile, the Financial Timesย reported Wednesday that the US has urged Arab nations to contribute peacekeeping forces to fill a potential vacuum in Gaza once fighting with Hamas concludes.
Meanwhile, the European Union condemned Israel's ongoing operations in Rafah, warning it is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an immediate ceasefire, claiming the fighting disrupts aid distribution and could irreparably damage EU-Israel relations.