The future of militia group Hezbollah was put under the microscope on Monday as Lebanon’s prime minister said he had not heard from them in weeks and the head of the Arab League remarked that their “idea” could not be destroyed.
Israeli attacks over recent weeks have sought to paralyse Iran-backed Hezbollah amid a similar campaign to annihilate fellow Islamists Hamas in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
The Jewish state attempted to root out Hamas following their huge terrorist attack on southern Israel last October and has gradually turned its fire on Lebanon’s Hezbollah, whose rockets have threatened northern Israelis for years.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that the country’s armed forced have left “Beirut in flames” after a major offensive on Monday targeting Hezbollah’s financial assets. He said over 15 buildings were struck and posted a photo of a large fireball rising over the skyline of Lebanon’s capital.
The Israeli military said the wave of airstrikes that began on Monday was aimed at branches of al-Qard al-Hasan.
The finance association allegedly manages funds that are used for Hezbollah activities, including the purchase of weapons and payments to members of its military wing, according to Israel.
The renewed assault by Israel has left observers wondering what state Hezbollah is in and Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, said he has had no contact with Hezbollah representatives for weeks.
This is despite the militia putting up two Cabinet ministers and 13 representatives in the Lebanese parliament.
“There has been no communication with Hezbollah since the middle of last month,” Mikati told news broadcaster Al Arabiya. He did not reveal how he had previously communicated with the Shiite group.
Mikati’s statement indicates that Hezbollah leaders are moving with care and restricting contact with others since Israel began expanding military operations in Lebanon several weeks ago.
Hezbollah leaders are thought to be changing location frequently following the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah and others.
Hezbollah plays a major role in Lebanese life, apart from its military goals. It provides services including schools and hospitals.
Southern suburbs of Beirut again under Israeli fire
The southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut have once again been hit by Israeli airstrikes, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported.
The agency said that the neighbourhood of Haret Hreik, near the airport, was hit, as was the area around the university hospital.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said several people were killed in the strikes.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari had announced further attacks aimed at degrading the Hezbollah militia’s finances.
‘You cannot destroy an idea’
The secretary-general of the Arab League, Ahmed Abul Gheit, met Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri and was asked if Hezbollah has in essence been destroyed by Israel.
“You cannot destroy an idea,” he said, adding that an immediate ceasefire was necessary. “We will not wait too long to achieve the desired breakthrough because the situation is dangerous…”
But Hezbollah showed it still had semblances of a fighting force by hitting northern Israel with a volley of rockets on Monday, according to the Israeli military.
Around 40 missiles flew from Lebanon into Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Some of the missiles were intercepted, while others hit the ground.
The Israeli army later said that the air force had attacked 15 Hezbollah rocket launch pads in Lebanon.
Israel also said it intercepted five drones over the Mediterranean. They were apparently stopped before they entered Israeli territory.
According to media reports, Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv had earlier announced that departures had been stopped. Planes were soon flying again but who sent the drones was unclear.
In addition to Hezbollah and Hamas, militias in Iraq and Houthi rebels in Yemen have tried to strike Israel, while Iran itself has also hit its rival with missiles.
Israel sorry for killing Lebanese army trio
Arab League official Abul Gheit also criticized the failure of the UN Security Council to take action against Israel’s recent attack on UN peacekeepers and posts in southern Lebanon.
On Monday, the Israeli military apologized for the deaths of three Lebanese soldiers in an airstrike in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
The IDF said it had struck a truck that entered an area where it had earlier attacked a truck operated by the Hezbollah militia that was transporting missiles.
It later became clear that the second vehicle had been operated by the Lebanese army and that three of its soldiers had been killed.
The IDF statement said that it did not act against the Lebanese army and that its troops had been unaware that one of its trucks was in the area. It apologized for these “unwanted circumstances.”
The Lebanese army has attempted to stay out of the fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah.
