In just 10 days, the Middle East has seen a rapid escalation in violence: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike, Israel initiated a ground invasion of Lebanon and Iran launched nearly 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.

This uptick follows nearly a year of cross-border skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah — considered a terrorist organization by Israel, Germany, the US and several other countries — which was previously limited to the border regions, and coincides with Israel's ongoing war in Gaza against Hamas.

On Saturday, the Israeli military reported that its forces had struck Hezbollah fighters inside a mosque adjacent to the Salah Ghandour Hospital in southern Lebanon. The hospital, run by the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee, said nine of its medical staff were seriously injured after receiving a warning to evacuate.

Hezbollah confirmed that its fighters were engaged with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and claimed to have hit an Israeli tank with a missile near the border. Additionally, Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel's Ramat David airbase, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the Lebanese border.

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Hezbollah initiated attacks on Israel nearly a year ago, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as Israel waged war on the enclave in response to the October 7 massacre.

The conflict escalated further on October 1, 2024, when Israel began a ground invasion of southern........

© Deutsche Welle