How did the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalate in 2023

The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel saw a significant escalation in 2023, with tensions rising dramatically in the latter part of the year. Here are the key developments:

Initial Escalation

The escalation began on October 8, 2023, just a day after Hamas’s attack on Israel. Hezbollah started firing guided rockets and artillery shells at Israeli positions in the occupied Shebaa Farms, claiming solidarity with Palestinians following the Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent bombing of Gaza.

Intensifying Exchanges

Throughout October and November 2023, there were frequent exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel:

• Hezbollah launched anti-tank missiles, rockets, and drones at Israeli military positions and civilian areas.

• Israel retaliated with drone strikes, artillery shelling, and airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

• These clashes resulted in casualties on both sides and damage to infrastructure.

Expanding Scope

As the conflict progressed, the scope of attacks expanded:

• Hezbollah began targeting areas deeper into Israeli territory, including firing at the city of Haifa for the first time in this conflict.

• Israel increased its airstrikes across Lebanon, including targets in Beirut and the Beqaa Valley.

Major Escalation in September 2024

The conflict saw a dramatic escalation in September 2024:

• On September 17-18, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria, resulting in numerous casualties.

• Israel launched extensive airstrikes on Lebanon, hitting hundreds of Hezbollah targets.

• On September 20, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed Ibrahim Aqil, a senior Hezbollah commander, along with other top leaders.

• Israel issued evacuation warnings to residents in southern Lebanon and launched over 1,300 airstrikes in the area on September 23, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

Culmination

The escalation culminated in two significant events:

1. On September 27, 2024, Hassan Nasrallah, the long-standing leader of Hezbollah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

2. On October 1, 2024, Israel launched a ground invasion of Lebanon, marking a major escalation in the conflict.

This timeline of events shows how the conflict rapidly intensified from localized border skirmishes to a full-scale war, with both sides engaging in increasingly aggressive actions and suffering significant losses.