Escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon

Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified following Hezbollah's military actions on March 2, initiated in response to the death of Iran's supreme leader. The conflict has expanded with Israeli airstrikes targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs, central Beirut districts including Bachoura and Zuqaq al-Blat, and various locations across southern and eastern Lebanon. Lebanese health authorities report death tolls ranging between approximately 400 and 634 people, with over 1,500 wounded and nearly 700,000 to 800,000 people displaced. Israeli military officials, including Eyal Zamir, have stated the operation will be prolonged and may involve additional troop deployments. Hezbollah has retaliated daily with rockets and drones, including a significant salvo on Wednesday involving 200 rockets and 20 drones. While Lebanese officials describe the impact on civilians as severe, the Israeli military maintains that it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, including branches of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan financial institution. Humanitarian concerns are rising as displacement figures threaten to exceed those of previous conflicts, exacerbated by limited resources.