Ongoing Crisis in the Middle East; 150 Airstrikes by Israel and 180 Rockets Fired by Hezbollah in 24 Hours

The clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah of Lebanon continued on Friday, October 5, as some Lebanese sources reported 153 airstrikes by Israel on Hezbollah positions in the past 24 hours. The Israeli army also announced that on Friday, approximately 180 rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, but there were no reported damages or casualties. The Israeli army further stated that since the beginning of its ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, about 250 Hezbollah militants, including several commanders of this group supported by the Islamic Republic, have been killed. This is occurring while the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army on Friday evening urged residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut, especially the Shweifat al-Amara neighborhood, to stay at least 500 meters away from the area. Avichai Adraee stated that Hezbollah facilities and interests are located there, and the Israeli army will soon conduct operations in those areas. Moments later, eyewitnesses reported explosions and smoke in the southern suburbs of Beirut in the Burj al-Barajneh and Shweifat neighborhoods. The Israeli army had previously asked residents of 25 villages in southern Lebanon to leave these villages. Amid these conflicts, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced that Israeli bombardments in Lebanon have led to the flight of about 235,000 people to Syria, two-thirds of whom are Syrian refugees who had previously sought refuge in Lebanon to escape insecurity and the Syrian civil war. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior also reported that since September 24, more than 5,000 Lebanese refugees have entered the country. Iraq has facilitated visa-free entry for Lebanese and even allowed entry for those without identification documents. Israeli officials have stated that operations against Hezbollah will continue until they are sure that thousands of displaced Israelis can safely return to their homes in northern Israel and the Lebanon border. The intensification of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah raises concerns about the escalation of war.