In a series of violent encounters marking increasing regional tension, Israeli air operations on March 29, 2024, targeted areas in Syria and Lebanon, leading to significant loss of life and the death of a high-ranking Hezbollah militant. The air raids, some of the most lethal in recent times, left 36 soldiers and six Hezbollah fighters deceased near Aleppo.
The concurrent drone attacks, attributed to Syrian insurgents, targeted civilian areas in Aleppo. The offensive in the northern Syrian city reportedly struck missile storage facilities operated by Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group, escalating the conflict that has recently seen intensified activities involving Israel, Hezbollah, and Gaza. The strikes did not impact the operational status of Aleppo’s international airport, a key facility in the region’s largest city.
Ali Abed Akhsan Naim, a senior figure within Hezbollah’s ranks and deputy commander of the organization’s missile unit, was confirmed killed by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. Israel attributed him roles in coordinating and planning rocket attacks against its citizenry. This comes amid the heaviest clash along the Israel-Lebanon border since the month-long war in 2006. Israeli forces and civilians, as well as hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, including combatants and civilians such as medics and journalists, have been casualties of the ongoing exchanges. On the other hand, the frequency and severity of Israeli air strikes on airports in Damascus and Aleppo, viewed as strategic moves to limit weapon supply lines to Iranian allies, have resulted in the repositioning of some of Iran’s top military officers out of Syria.
The Syrian Defense Ministry indicated that civilian and military casualties resulted from the pre-dawn air operations that also correlated with drone attacks from different regions, pointing to the involvement of terrorist organizations. Nonetheless, the Israeli military has not commented on these specific incidents. A marked single-day casualty count signifies the gravest toll attributed to Israeli action in the Syrian territory since the onset of increased aggression in October the previous year. Subsequent fighting along the Lebanese border led to more fatalities, including a Hezbollah fighter taken down by an Israeli strike.
Amid this fraught scenario, Lebanon’s Hezbollah leadership has held talks with Iranian military leaders concerning the potential for a broader offensive by Israel, although Hezbollah has signalled a preference not to pull Iran into a war with Israel. Furthermore, Hezbollah has indicated it would cease rocket fire into Israel if a ceasefire in Gaza is established, but Israeli and US officials suggest that such an armistice wouldn’t necessarily blanket Lebanon.
With the regional atmosphere charged, the Israeli Air Force has resumed regular drills, preparing for extensive operations reaching deep into hostile territories. This reflects a military stance gearing up for the possibility of an extensive northern conflict, and emphasizes the readiness of Israel’s forces for prolonged engagement if necessitated by the emergent security dynamics in the Middle East.