What's happened
On October 5, 2024, Israel intensified its military actions against Hezbollah, targeting key leaders and infrastructure. Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei vowed to continue fighting Israel, while the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens. The situation remains volatile as regional powers respond to the escalating conflict.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The Independent reports that Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei has vowed to continue fighting Israel, describing recent missile attacks as 'legal and legitimate.' The article highlights the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with UN officials condemning attacks on schools. Sky News emphasizes Iran's support for Hezbollah and the strategic importance of the group in the region. The Independent also notes the implications of Nasrallah's death and the potential for increased conflict as Israel targets Hezbollah leaders.
How we got here
The current escalation follows the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024 and a series of Iranian missile attacks on Israel. Tensions have been rising due to Israel's military operations in Lebanon and Gaza, leading to significant civilian casualties.
More on these topics
-
Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a
-
Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.
-
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
-
Hassan Nasrallah is the third and current Secretary General of the Lebanese political and paramilitary party Hezbollah since his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was assassinated by the Israel Defense Forces in February 1992.
-
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. No recent population census has been conducted, but 2007 estimates ranged from slightly more than 1 million to 2.2 million as part of Greater Beirut, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant re
-
Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei is a Twelver Shia Marja' and the second and current supreme leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989.
-
Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.