A year after their escalating but limited conflict, Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah are on the brink of all-out war.

The long-standing enmity between Hezbollah and Israel came to a head after Hamas attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia launched rocket attacks in an attempt to dislodge Israeli army forces from the attacks. in Gaza

In the intervening time, the situation at the border Israel-Lebanon it turned into a war of attrition, with both sides suffering significant economic damage, also forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border.

Tensions have escalated in the past week as back-to-back attacks have brought the two sides to the brink of their first full-scale war since 2006, when they fought a 34-day conflict in which Israel staged a ground invasion.

The result of that conflict was the death of more than 1,000 Lebanese and 150 Israelis.

The timeline of the last escalation

Tuesday, September 17

Hundreds of bombs went off suddenly and simultaneously across Lebanon in a coordinated attack targeting members of Hezbollah. At least 12 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured, according to Lebanese health authorities. Many of the dead and wounded were members of Hezbollah, but the explosions also killed two children and wounded Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. Hezbollah and Lebanese officials blamed Israel, an assessment echoed by American and other officials. Israel has not explicitly claimed responsibility.

Wednesday

The next day, explosions rocked walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members, killing at least 20 people and injuring hundreds of others. Israel did not undertake this attack either. However, experts said both operations required extensive planning and complexity. Yoav Galand, Israel’s defense minister, said the “center of gravity” of Israel’s military effort, which had been focused on defeating Hamas in Gaza, was “turning north.”

Thursday

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, gave a speech from an undisclosed location in which he admitted his group had “suffered a serious and cruel blow” but vowed to retaliate against Israel. Hours later, Israel carried out dozens of airstrikes targeting what it said were Hezbollah rocket launchers, in what Lebanese officials said was one of the heaviest bombardments in southern Lebanon in months.

Friday

An Israeli airstrike leveled at least one residential high-rise in the heart of Dahiya, the bustling neighborhoods south of Beirut dominated by Hezbollah. A top Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Akil, was killed in the attack. The Israeli military also said “about 10” senior commanders in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force were killed.

Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 45 people were killed in Friday’s airstrike and dozens more were injured, including children.

Saturday

Israel again struck southern Lebanon from the air, hitting what it said were about 400 Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel that alerted about 70 towns and caused minor injuries, although most of the rockets were intercepted.

Sunday

Hezbollah fired more than 100 missiles, rockets and drones into Israel and struck areas about 30 miles inside the country, its deepest strikes since the war began last October. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would do “whatever is necessary” to reduce the threat posed by the group, while Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Kassem said the conflict was entering a “new stage”. .

Experts pointed out that Hezbollah’s strikes appeared to be calibrated to show its reach – one hit a town north of the Israeli city of Haifa – while avoiding hitting areas that could provoke a heavier Israeli response.

Monday

Israeli warplanes hit hundreds of sites across Lebanon in a bombardment that Lebanon’s health ministry said killed more than 274 people. Before the attacks, Lebanese authorities said “a large number” of automated messages had been sent to residents of Beirut and other areas telling them to move away from areas where Hezbollah had hidden weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israeli citizens of “complex days ahead,” saying Israel “did not wait for the threat to come, but is preempting it.”