Iran fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday (October 1) amplifying tensions in the Middle East. Iran called the attack a retaliation to the wave of assassinations carried out by Israel over the last several weeks targeting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed, Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon.
Iran also said the attacks were for Israel’s extensive actions on Hezbollah, the destruction in Gaza as well as the assassinations of key Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, including Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Hezbollah and Israel have repeatedly attacked each other, trading fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border for months. Also, Israel, within days after killing more than 20 Hezbollah members, including their chief Hassan Nasrallah, the Israeli military on Sunday said it struck several Houthi rebel targets in Yemen using fighter jets.
The Israel Air Force deployed dozens of aircraft to strike military Houthi targets 1,800 km away from the country in the Ras Isa and Hudaydah regions of Yemen. The Israeli military said these strikes were carried out in response to recent Houthi attacks against Israel.
Tuesday’s strike marked the latest development in an intensifying series of attacks in the region.
Here’s a look at the timeline of the conflict:
- On October 8, 2023, Israel launched an invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to a Hamas attack on October 7 that resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and around 250 hostages, according to the Israeli government.
- In retaliation to the Gaza invasion, Hezbollah intensified its attacks on Israel, leading to a significant escalation in hostilities between the two sides since October 8.
- The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health reports that around 41,638 people have died in Gaza due to Israeli attacks. Hezbollah has vowed to continue its offensive against Israel until the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdraw from Gaza.
- Hezbollah maintains control over many Shiite-majority areas in Lebanon, including parts of Beirut, and is known to receive support, training, and weapons from Iran.
- The IDF has stated that its special operations teams have been active in southern Lebanon since November, a claim Hezbollah has denied, asserting that the IDF has not crossed into Lebanese territory.
- Cease-fire negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages have stalled despite multiple mediation attempts by the US and others, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting a cease-fire proposal related to operations in Lebanon.
- The conflict escalated further with the detonation of Hezbollah communication devices in Lebanon and Syria on September 17, which resulted in numerous injuries and deaths. Sources confirmed it was part of an Israeli covert operation.
- The Israeli military has intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah and resulting in over 1,030 deaths and thousands of injuries, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Israeli officials claim about 30 senior Hezbollah leaders have been killed.
- On September 26, 2024, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned at the United Nations General Assembly that Iran would not remain passive if a full-scale war erupted in Lebanon. He emphasised that Israel’s actions would have consequences and that the region is at risk of a larger conflict unless the UN Security Council intervenes for an immediate ceasefire.
- On September 30, the IDF announced a ground incursion into Lebanon, describing the operations as “limited and targeted” against Hezbollah infrastructure based on precise intelligence.
- On October 1, Iran launched missiles at Israel, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stating that the attack was retaliation for previous Israeli assassinations.
- President Joe Biden affirmed on October 1 that the US is ready to assist Israel in defending against the Iranian missile attacks.
Comments
0 comment