On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed that 90% of the Hezbollah rockets intercepted on Sunday were fired from civilian areas in southern Lebanon. This action further violates international law by Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah.
In a statement, the IDF said they had detected preparations by Hezbollah to launch missiles and rockets aimed at the northern and central regions of Israel on Sunday morning. In response, the IDF targeted Hezbollah installations that posed an immediate threat. During the strike, approximately 230 launches and 20 aerial targets were identified crossing into Israeli territory.
Hezbollah’s tactics involve placing their terrorist infrastructure within civilian populations, using Lebanese civilians as human shields. The IDF stated that 90% of the rocket launches were from the heart of a civilian area, near facilities such as mosques, schools, and UN sites.
Both Hezbollah and Hamas, a Palestinian terror group, follow the practice of hiding weapons among civilians to ensure civilian casualties when Israel attacks their weapons sites. Despite this violation of international humanitarian law by terrorists, it is the Israeli government that faces blame for these casualties.
In an effort to preemptively strike Hezbollah before they could attack, Israel targeted thousands of rocket launchers. One of Hezbollah’s intended targets was said to be Tel Aviv, as they sought revenge for the death of their second-in-command, Fuad Shukr, who was killed by Israeli forces last month. Shukr had also been linked to the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marines barracks that claimed the lives of 241 American servicemen.
Hezbollah’s presence in southern Lebanon is a direct violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, which mandates that southern Lebanon remain demilitarized. The situation is further exacerbated by Hezbollah’s continued use of civilian populations as human shields, creating an environment ripe for conflict and human suffering.