Hezbollah claims strikes as Israel intercepts missiles and drones

Middle East outlets highlight the toll on Lebanese and Israeli civilians and warn that Israel’s strikes in Beirut and Tehran risk turning clashes with Hezbollah into a full war with Lebanon and Iran. Responsibility is described as shared, with both Hezbollah’s rocket fire and Israel’s deep strikes seen as feeding a dangerous cycle. Commentators in the region expect more cross-border attacks and worry that political leaders in Beirut and Jerusalem are losing control over escalation.

• •Hezbollah’s rocket and drone fire into northern Israel is portrayed as retaliation for earlier Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Syria.
• •Israeli airstrikes in Beirut are described as pushing Lebanon closer to nationwide conflict, not just border skirmishes.
• •Residents in northern Israel and southern Lebanon are reported as feeling abandoned by their governments as evacuations drag on.
• •Israel’s attack on Tehran is seen as crossing a new line by hitting deep inside Iran.
• •Regional governments fear that continued Yemen launches and Israeli responses could pull Gulf states more directly into the fighting.