Hezbollah Targets Tel Aviv With Large Iranian Missiles Launched From Underground Silos

The Israeli army says that over 120 rockets have been fired from Hezbollah in Lebanon on Thursday, resulting in at least five injuries.

Some intercepts of the inbound projectiles have been made, but clearly a number of rockets have hit the ground, as the Shia paramilitary group backed by Iran continues targeting Haifa and other sites across northern Israel. Some of the launches of the past 24 hours appear to have included large Iranian-made surface to surface missiles. Hezbollah channels have publicized the recent launch of this beast below…

“According to a video published on X (formerly Twitter) on October 23, 2024, Hezbollah combatants launched Iranian-made Qader-2 surface-to-surface cruise missiles from underground silos, targeting Israeli territory,” one regional war monitor wrote.

“This marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, showcasing Hezbollah’s growing missile capabilities and its increasing reliance on advanced military technology,” the report added. The group began showcasing Qader-2 launches about a week or more ago.

At least one large explosion was heard in or above northern Tel Aviv on Wednesday, and it may have been the inbound Qader-2. Israel’s anti-air defense systems may have intercepted it, but amid the fog of war it remains unclear which projectiles make it through to hit the ground or buildings and which are intercepted.

Hezbollah has released the following footage showing the launch of an Iranian missile from an underground silo:

Hezbollah vs IDF in NW Tel Aviv: Qader 2 precision-guided ballistic missile strike against the headquarters of Mossad and Unit 8200 at IDF base Glilot. [Hezbollah 23/10] pic.twitter.com/zkG6D72dGU

— Jon Elmer (@jonelmer) October 24, 2024

Meanwhile, Israel has continued large attacks on the south Beirut area, as well as in southern Lebanon. Neither side has issued specific details on what exactly is unfolding day-to-day in the ground war in southern Lebanon.

Some regional reports have claimed that Hezbollah has halted the Israeli army’s advance. While impossible to verify with certainty, one Lebanon-based news source cited the following:

“The enemy’s losses, according to what the Islamic Resistance fighters monitored, amounted to more than 70 dead and more than 600 wounded officers and soldiers of the Israeli enemy army,” the statement said. 

It adds that 28 Merkava tanks, four military bulldozers, an armed vehicle, and an armored troop carrier were destroyed by the Lebanese resistance. 

The US and Israel have continued to urge the Lebanese government to take actions to disarm Hezbollah, or else weaken the group.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said that only the government army should carry weapons, but the statement will have no effect, as Hezbollah is by far the most well-armed entity in Lebanon. “Lebanese authorities must deploy over [all] Lebanese territory and weapons should be carried only by the state and the Lebanese army,” Mikati said in Paris.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinking is touring the Gulf states, still trying to salvage a potential Israel-Hamas peace deal. “We haven’t yet really determined whether Hamas is prepared to engage, but the next step is getting the negotiators together… we’ll certainly learn more in the coming days.” he said.

The situation in south Gaza continues to get more desperate: 

Famine begins to spread in Southern Gaza Strip

Thousands of Palestinians crowd in front of bakeries in the southern #Gaza Strip to obtain bread in light of the shortage of flour and the rise in its prices as result of brutal Israeli siege. pic.twitter.com/IZP4urzZru

— DOAM (@doamuslims) October 23, 2024

He also announced another $135 million in humanitarian aid for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank; however, human rights organizations have accused Israel of routinely blocking outside aid, even when it is sent from Washington.