Hezbollah targeted the headquarters of Israeli intelligence service Mossad on the outskirts of Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile on Wednesday, Sept. 25, marking the first use of such weaponry in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group.
According to Hezbollah, its goal was to target the base from which Israel orchestrated the recent pager terror attack on Lebanon that killed dozens and injured thousands, and where Israel planned the assassination of many high-ranking Hezbollah commanders.
"In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, and in defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance launched a Qader 1 ballistic missile at 6:30 a.m., targeting the Mossad headquarters in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, which is responsible for assassinating leaders and executing explosions of pagers and wireless devices," the group said in a statement.
Israeli air defense systems were able to immediately detect the ballistic missile crossing into its airspace, causing warning sirens to be activated in Tel Aviv and the surrounding regions. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that it was able to successfully intercept the missile using a David's Sling anti-ballistic missile system. No injuries or damage to property were reported.
The IDF also claimed to have been able to track down the site in Lebanon that launched the ballistic missile and retaliated. (Related: ESCALATING CONFLICT: Israel’s covert operations in Lebanon could lead to all-out war with Hezbollah.)
In addition to the missile strike, the Israeli military reported that Hezbollah had also fired rockets targeting the occupied Golan Heights and near Mount Carmel in northern Israel, all of which were intercepted.
This missile launch occured amid Israel's extensive bombardment of southern and eastern Lebanon, which began earlier this week and has seen approximately 1,600 strikes in a single day, marking the deadliest day of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah since the 2006 Lebanon War.
Use of ballistic missiles represents new escalation in Israel-Hezbollah conflict
Hezbollah has so far refrained from deploying ballistic and precision-guided missiles, opting for a strategy of gradual escalation to avoid triggering a full-scale war. An anonymous Israeli air defense commander remarked in the Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom that the situation has not yet reached a "tipping point." He noted that Hezbollah had not yet utilized its most advanced missiles, and both sides have been careful to limit the extent of their assaults. He added that a total war would likely only commence if Hezbollah decided to strike deeper into Israeli territory, targeting critical infrastructure.
Israel has conducted airstrikes on Beirut three times within the past week, including an attack on the Ghobeiry area that resulted in multiple casualties, including the death of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Kubaisi. Following these assaults, Hezbollah responded by firing numerous rocket barrages into northern Israel, targeting military airports and other sensitive sites in Galilee, Tiberias and Haifa.
A security source informed Israel's Channel 13 that Israeli forces aim to compel Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to agree to a ceasefire through military means, stating: "We continue to follow the strategy of gradual escalation, and each time we go up one step after another." Hezbollah has consistently declared its intent to persist with its operations until the conflict in Gaza is resolved.
The backdrop to this escalating confrontation is the ongoing Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, which left over 550 people dead and injured more than 1,800 since Monday, Sept. 23. Thousands more have been displaced as a result of these attacks. Hezbollah's missile strike on the Mossad intelligence agency headquarters is a significant escalation in the conflict.
Watch this short clip of an air raid warning in Tel Aviv.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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