Hezbollah's warning: Unprecedented rocket attack on Israeli targets in response to assassinations

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

In a dramatic escalation ahead of its tenth month of war, Hezbollah unleashed its fiercest rocket barrage yet since October 2023.

The attack, a response to the Israeli assassination of Mohammad Nehme Nasser, Aziz Unit commander and a senior field leader in the south, saw approximately 250 rockets and 20 drones simultaneously launched from various points. 

Targets included military barracks, command headquarters, and military and intelligence bases. Rockets and drones struck Israeli bases from the occupied Shebaa Farms to the western shores near Tiberias, reaching an unprecedented depth of 35 kilometers.

Hezbollah acknowledges Nasser was at risk but justifies its forceful response as a deterrent against Israel's policy of targeted killings, warning of stronger reprisals with each assassination.

The retaliation for Nasser's assassination was notably more severe than previous responses, including that for the killing of Hezbollah's Nasr Unit commander, Talib Abdallah.

The nature of Hezbollah's retaliation resonated deeply within Israel, prompting fears of Hezbollah's capability to dominate the Galilee region from the farms to the sea. 

Informed sources underlined that the July 4th assault foreshadowed a scenario much smaller than what could unfold in a full-scale war.

The political message was clear: a warning against war or even limited engagements, as such operations may start predictably but end unpredictably. 

The intensity and scale of Thursday's attack were intended as a deterrent, akin to the dissemination of detailed "Hudhud" video picturing Haifa, meticulously recorded during Hezbollah's drone flights, without launching an actual attack.

These scenarios and assaults serve as reminders that Hezbollah holds many cards yet to be played. Despite their reluctance to war, they do not shy away from engagement under controlled conditions.