At least 24 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces along the border with Lebanon since October 7 as fighting continues to escalate between the two.
Hezbollah, which is back by Iran, has yet to commit to a full scale conflict with Israel, but has threatened to retaliate and intervene if Israeli forces go ahead with a ground assault on Gaza against Hamas. Increased Hezbollah involvement would essentially open up a second front to the north that could see a significant increase in rocket and missile strikes.
Israel has threatened Hezbollah to stay out of the conflict, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning on Sunday that if Hezbollah escalates the situation, “It will make the mistake of its life,” adding “We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state are devastating.”
There has been rumblings for weeks about the operation starting, however, it appears to be continuously delayed due to visits by foreign officials and last chance efforts to secure the release of more hostages.
