Mapping one year of cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon
The Israeli army continues to pound locations across Lebanon, including strikes on Nabatieh, a major city in the south.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered people to leave Lebanon and threatens to “destruction like Gaza” by ordering more troops to go there and deploying more troops there.
After a year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, according to Lebanon’s ministry of public health, Israel has killed at least 2,255 people and injured more than 10,000.
In addition, Lebanese authorities say, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced.
towns being destroyed in Lebanon
Numerous southern Lebanonese villages and Beirutese neighbourhoods have been severely damaged by Israeli attacks.
Israeli attacks have destroyed the Lebanese village of Yaroun, which is located roughly 1 km (0, 6 miles) away from Israel’s de facto border, the Blue Line.
Following Israel’s ground invasion into Lebanon, which started on October 1, satellite imagery from Al Jazeera’s verification unit Sanad shows levelled homes and cratered ground.
Further east, Maroun al-Ras is dotted with scenes of destruction.
Videos were posted online that showed soldiers hoisting the Israeli flag over Maroun al-Ras’s ruination.
One year of cross-border attacks
Since Hezbollah first launched attacks on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip as Israel waged a war against the enclave on October 8, 2023, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has continued.
Israel has carried out at least 9, 891 attacks against Lebanon, which is more than four times the number as Hezbollah has done against Israel.
Hezbollah, which was formed in 1982 to fight Israel’s invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon, says it will stop attacking Israel if its assault on Gaza stops.
Hezbollah fought a 34-day war against Israel in 2006, which was widely regarded as Israel’s most combat-ready nongovernmental fighting force.
Some Israeli leaders have pledged to forcefully or even militarily remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.
Between October 7, 2023 and October 4, 2024, Israel and Hezbollah and other armed groups exchanged at least 12, 054 attacks, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED).
About 82 percent of these attacks – 9, 891 – were carried out by Israel, which killed at least 1, 562 people in Lebanon.
At least 33 Israelis were killed in 2, 163 attacks carried out by Hezbollah and other armed groups.
Other parties involved in attacks against Israel include Hamas’ Qassam Brigades and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, both of which have armed wings of Palestinian organizations with presence in Lebanon, in addition to Hezbollah, which primarily suffered from the hostilities.
Within two weeks, from September 20 to October 4, there have been almost 2, 000 attacks between Israel and Lebanon. A sixth of all attacks since October 8, 2023 are caused by this.
The most recent Israeli attacks on these southern Lebanon locations:
- Aita al-Shaab – 423 attacks
- Kfar Kila – 325 attacks
- Naqoura – 321 attacks
- Hula – 303 attacks
- Khiam – 269 attacks
The most frequent targets of Israeli group attacks were these locations in northern Israel:
- Kiryat Shmona – 177 attacks
- Metula – 116 attacks
- Margaliyot – 104 attacks
- Al-Manara – 95 attacks
- Shtula – 84 attacks
Israel’s arsenal
In the Middle East, Israel maintains the most advanced missiles.
It makes many of them itself, but gets most of its precision-guided missiles from the United States.
Much of Israel’s capabilities are short-range tactical systems, including the Popeye, Extra and Gabriel missiles. Among its long-range missiles are Jericho 2 and Jericho 3 ballistic missiles with ranges of 1, 500-3, 500km (930-2, 175 miles) and 4, 800-6, 500km (3, 000-4, 000 miles), respectively, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Also, despite not officially acknowledging it, Israel is believed to , possess , at least 90 nuclear weapons.
To confront incoming rockets and missiles, Israel uses three integrated air defence systems: the Iron Dome (short-range), David’s Sling (medium-range) and Arrow (long-range).
The Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city-sized coverage against rockets with ranges of 4-70km (2.5-43 miles), but experts say it has been expanded.
David’s Sling, produced by Israeli weapons giant Rafael, can intercept rockets and missiles with a range of 40-300km (25-186 miles). The Arrow series, led by the Arrow 3 interceptor, has an estimated fly-out range of up to 2, 400km (1, 491 miles).
Hezbollah’s arsenal
Hezbollah is considered to be one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state actors, with an estimated rocket arsenal of 130, 000, according to CSIS.
On October 19, 2023, Israel’s Institute for National Security Research estimated that Hezbollah had 40, 000 Grad-type missiles with a short range of 15-20km (9-12 miles).
A step up are 80, 000 longer-range missiles, including the Fajr 3 and Fajr 5 ballistic missiles, with a range of 100km (62 miles).
Finally, there are about 30, 000 Zelzal or Fateh-110 missiles with a range of 200-300km (124-186 miles) – the longest-range weapons in Hezbollah’s inventory, capable of reaching southern Israel.
Source: Aljazeera
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