Payam Javan: Early Wednesday morning, Hezbollah launched its deepest missile strike into Israel, firing a Qader 1 ballistic missile toward Tel Aviv. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted the missile before it caused any damage, though air raid sirens rang throughout the city and central Israel. Hezbollah claimed the missile was aimed at Mossad headquarters, in response to what it alleges is a series of targeted killings of its top commanders. In retaliation, the IDF carried out strikes on southern Lebanon, where the missile was reportedly launched from.

The exchange comes amid a broader escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which have intensified over the past year. In the days leading up to the missile strike, cross-border tensions surged after a bombing in Lebanon killed 39 people. Hezbollah responded by firing rockets, missiles, and drones into northern Israel, while Israeli warplanes retaliated with extensive airstrikes across Hezbollah’s strongholds in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. The airstrikes targeted weapons caches, rocket launchers, and Hezbollah commanders, including a top rocket unit leader, Ibrahim Kobeisi, who was killed in an airstrike on Beirut.

The violence has prompted many Lebanese civilians to flee their homes, seeking refuge in Beirut and Sidon or trying to leave the country through Syria. Since Monday, over 560 people have been killed in Lebanon, with thousands more wounded. Despite the escalation, Israel’s military stated that it has no immediate plans for a ground invasion, focusing instead on airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s military capabilities. However, tensions remain high as both sides continue to trade fire across the border.