The Iranian-backed group Hezbollah has fired rockets from Lebanon into Israel for a second consecutive day, prompting Israeli air strikes and a ground troop deployment in southern Lebanon, as the country is pulled deeper into the widening regional conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.

Israeli strikes have killed dozens of people, according to Lebanese health officials. In response to the escalating violence, thousands of residents fled villages in southern Lebanon. In Beirut, displaced families gathered in Martyrs’ Square and along the Mediterranean promenade seeking safety.

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Israel said its bombing campaign was retaliation for rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah, which described its actions as revenge for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran over the weekend. While Hezbollah’s barrage was seen by many analysts as largely symbolic, Israel’s response has been forceful and expansive.

Air strikes have targeted southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahieh — a stronghold of Hezbollah and Lebanon’s Shia community. The Israeli military says it has expanded its presence in southern Lebanon, signalling the possibility of a prolonged operation.

Domestic backlash and political strain

Hezbollah’s decision to engage has sparked backlash within Lebanon, reflecting the group’s diminished standing after years of economic crisis and conflict. The Lebanese government announced a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities and demanded it hand over its weapons to the state.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the group’s actions disregarded the “will of the majority of Lebanese,” underscoring growing frustration across the political spectrum.

Formed in the 1980s during Israel’s occupation of Lebanon, Hezbollah evolved into a powerful political and military force. Its most recent war with Israel ended in a 2024 ceasefire after 13 months of devastating fighting that left much of southern Lebanon in ruins. The group’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was among senior figures killed during that conflict, and much of its arsenal was destroyed.

Despite the truce, Israel continued near-daily strikes, saying Hezbollah was attempting to rebuild. The militia largely refrained from responding — until now.

A risky calculation

Lebanese authorities had warned Hezbollah against intervening in the growing confrontation between Washington and Tehran. President Joseph Aoun has pushed a disarmament plan, arguing that armed resistance risks reigniting sectarian tensions.

Hezbollah, however, has resisted calls to surrender its weapons, a core element of its identity. Some observers suggest internal divisions may be emerging over the group’s strategy.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has described Hezbollah’s current leader, Naim Qassem, as a “marked target for elimination,” heightening fears of further escalation.

With Israeli troops expanding operations in the south, concerns are mounting that Lebanon could face another extended conflict. Analysts warn Hezbollah may now be cornered, risking further devastation for a country already struggling to recover from past wars.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 03.03 2026

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These forever wars enrich arms manufacturers only. If only there were someone to commit to not starting more forever wars, to promise no boots on the ground.

Where is that man?

Off-topic
Now that Iran can no longer fund Hezbollah or Hamas ..... Where are they going to get their money from?

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

These forever wars enrich arms manufacturers only.

Let's not forget about all the little people that supply the bits and pieces to the manufacturers... Everybody wins economically when a country has a good war and all these things need to get replaced... war is an end user that needs to be continually fed

Israel's attack on Lebanon was planned long before and just awaited some action by Hezbollah to provide a justification, however feeble. Hezbollah's engagement with the Lebanese government not to get involved in an Iran conflict presumably was not made covering a scenario where their principal spiritual leader would be assassinated.

6 hours ago, Purdey said:

These forever wars enrich arms manufacturers only. If only there were someone to commit to not starting more forever wars, to promise no boots on the ground.

Where is that man?

He's in the White House.

During his first term that was exactly what he was saying, and to my recollection, he kept his word and didn't start any new wars.

His second term has been an unmitigated disaster, The radical Zionists have him by the cojones and he is nothing but their puppet.

2 hours ago, CMHomeboy78 said:

He's in the White House.

During his first term that was exactly what he was saying, and to my recollection, he kept his word and didn't start any new wars.

His second term has been an unmitigated disaster, The radical Zionists have him by the cojones and he is nothing but their puppet.

Your "cojones" metaphor might just be spot-on.

More revelations from the Epstein Files may verify that.

16 minutes ago, MisterTee said:

Your "cojones" metaphor might just be spot-on.

More revelations from the Epstein Files may verify that.

The "Epstein files " are the new "Hunters laptop" .

Some people just endlessly keep going on about it

See my posts, Israelis love war, redux and Israel is a rogue state.

Israel has been bombing the hell out of Arabs for 75 years. Some people might get the idea, hmm, that doesn't work. Unless, of course, you're a serial killer by nature and like that warm feeling of blood on your hands.

Time for a new solution, don't you think?

“You brought hell on yourselves”: panic grips Beirut as Israeli threats stoke fear of all-out war

Panic tore through the streets of Beirut within minutes of an Israeli evacuation order, as hundreds of thousands scrambled to escape the capital’s southern suburbs.

Cars jammed roads out of the city while others fled on foot carrying bags, children and whatever they could salvage. The Israeli military warned residents in four districts to leave immediately — triggering a chaotic exodus driven by a single fear: that Israeli aircraft would soon strike.

Mass Flight as Evacuation Orders Hit Southern Suburbs

The order targeted densely populated neighbourhoods in the southern outskirts of Beirut, where an estimated half a million people poured into the streets.

Traffic locked the city as families tried to escape before nightfall. Others abandoned vehicles entirely, moving on foot through packed roads and alleyways.

Residents say the warning left little doubt about what might follow: a major Israeli bombardment.

“It’s So Dangerous”: Families Flee With Children

One man preparing to leave balanced his wife and young child on a battered moped as traffic ground to a halt.

“The whole place is under threat,” he said. “It seems they’re going to strike — we’ve got to pick up our family and flee.”

His wife, clutching their child, said the fear was overwhelming. “With all these threats and strikes, it’s so dangerous. It is not safe at all.”

They merged into the choking traffic heading north.

Hardline Israeli Rhetoric Fuels Fear

An explosive warning from Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has intensified the panic.

He said Beirut’s suburb of Dahiya could face the same destruction seen in Khan Younis during the war in Gaza Strip.

“You wanted to bring hell on us, you brought hell on yourselves,” he said. “Dahiya will look like Khan Younis.”

For many in Lebanon, the message is clear: Israel intends to dictate the pace and scale of the conflict.

Bombs Hit Tyre as Air Campaign Expands

Israel’s offensive is already hitting southern Lebanon.

In the coastal city of Tyre, a strike tore through the local power station. A huge diesel tank was punctured, a solar tower collapsed, and the site was left smoking and foul-smelling.

The attack plunged the city into darkness.

“We Have Nowhere to Go”

Some residents have stayed behind — not out of defiance but desperation.

Local father Hussein Chehadeh said leaving simply wasn’t possible.

“I have no money,” he said. “We have children, petrol to pay for, rent, houses. Our problem in the south is simple — we have nowhere to go.”

Israel Signals War Could Go Further

New footage shows Israeli forces moving into positions in southern Lebanese hills as the campaign intensifies.

The Israeli military chief, Eyal Zamir, said operations would deepen until Hezbollah is disarmed.

“We are striking forcefully, deeper inside Lebanon,” he said. “We will not stop.”

For civilians fleeing Beirut and the south, the fear is that this conflict is only just beginning — and could soon spiral into a regional war.

'You brought hell on yourselves': Panic and fear as Israeli rhetoric raises spectre of all-out war