Despite a heavy night of Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanese residents expressed defiance on Tuesday, vowing not to “turn against the resistance,” a reference to Hezbollah.
Qassem Ashour, a resident of Beirut, dismissed the notion that Israel’s strikes would weaken local support for Hezbollah.
“The criminals think that if they strike Ouzai, Beirut, or any other area, they can pressure people to turn against the resistance,” he said. “These are delusions. This doesn’t happen here.”
Early Tuesday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching rockets at two military bases near Tel Aviv and a naval base west of Haifa. The attacks came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to arrive in Israel in a renewed effort to push for a cease-fire.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported on Monday that the death toll since the start of Israel’s offensive had risen to 2,483, with 11,628 injured. Israeli authorities have reported 59 deaths in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights during the same period.
