Deadly Raids and a Ban on Resistance: A Widespread Zionist Escalation Against Lebanon Met with Hezbollah’s Statement No. (1) and a Qualitative Strike in Haifa
The Zionist aggression against Lebanon has entered a more widespread and dangerous phase, with a wave of intense raids targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon, resulting in dozens of martyrs and wounded, widespread displacement, and the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure.
In response, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah – announced in its Statement No. (1) the execution of a qualitative offensive operation targeting a sensitive military site in Haifa, in a legitimate defensive and retaliatory response to the continued aggression and the blood of its leaders and martyrs.
A Bloody Toll and Unprecedented Escalation
Since dawn today, the Zionist enemy has expanded its aggression against Lebanese territory, recording – according to the Disaster Management Unit at the Grand Serail – 221 hostile acts. These have resulted in the martyrdom of 52 civilians and the injury of 154 others, according to an initial toll that is expected to rise. In addition, more than 28,000 citizens have been displaced from their homes.
The raids targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, where a residential building housing the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Foundation was struck, days after Zionist threats to bomb 18 centers belonging to the foundation in the suburbs, Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley. The attacks also extended to areas in the south and the Bekaa Valley, including Hawsh Al-Ghafa, leaving martyrs, wounded, and widespread destruction of homes and residential infrastructure.
The targeting included children, women, and entire families, reflecting the nature of the aggression, which directly targets civilians. The raids continue, with expectations of further escalation in the coming hours.
Statement No. (1): A Qualitative Strike in Haifa
In a significant field development, the Islamic Resistance announced in its statement No. (1) that it targeted, at midnight on Sunday/Monday, March 2, 2026, the “Mishmar al-Karmel” missile defense site belonging to the enemy army south of occupied Haifa, with a barrage of qualitative missiles and a squadron of drones.
The Resistance affirmed that the operation comes:
In revenge for the pure blood of Imam Sayyid Ali al-Husseini al-Khamenei.
In defense of Lebanon and its people.
As part of the response to the repeated Israeli attacks.
The statement emphasized that the continuation of assassinations and attacks that have persisted for fifteen months gives the Resistance the right to respond at the appropriate time and place, stressing that this response is a legitimate defensive measure, and that the enemy cannot continue its aggression without facing a warning response aimed at halting the aggression and withdrawing from the occupied Lebanese territories.
The operation carried a clear strategic significance, targeting a site belonging to the Zionist air defense system, in a direct message about the resistance’s ability to penetrate sensitive systems and strike deep within enemy territory.
Political Division and a Controversial Decision
Domestically, the debate intensified after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced a ban on Hezbollah’s military and security activities, deeming any military actions launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of state institutions “completely unacceptable.”
The government’s stance was met with sharp criticism from MP Mohammad Raad, head of the “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc, who asserted that the Lebanese people had been expecting a decision to prohibit aggression, only to be faced with a decision to “prohibit the rejection of aggression.”
Raad indicated his understanding of the government’s inability to confront the enemy, but he rejected the heavy-handed decisions it is taking against Lebanese citizens who oppose the occupation. This comes at a time when the enemy continues to violate national sovereignty and impose a state of daily warfare for over a year and four months, with UNIFIL recording more than ten thousand Israeli violations since the ceasefire agreement in November 2014.
Between Fire and Deterrence
The Lebanese scene today stands on the brink of open escalation:
An Israeli aggression is expanding geographically and targeting civilians and infrastructure, met with a qualitative military response from the resistance, confirming the confrontation has moved to a more sensitive level by targeting defensive positions deep within the entity.
With the continuation of the raids and the rising number of martyrs and displaced persons, the equation remains open to two possibilities:
Either the aggression will be contained through deterrence, or the region will slide into a wider confrontation that extends beyond the borders of southern Lebanon.