The latest between Israel and Iran: IDF sends additional troops to Lebanon – as Hezbollah fires ‘barrel of rockets’ into Israel | World News

Last night, Iran fired around 180 rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of the Hezbollah leader in Beirut and a Hamas chief in Tehran.

The missiles were launched with US help, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly promised a response, saying Iran would pay for its actions.

But how did we get to this point?

Our Security and Defense Editor Deborah Haynes says Israel knew the attack would come after it hit Iran’s allies and interests.

The crisis was sparked on October 7 when Hamas, an Iran-backed militant group in Gaza, launched a deadly attack on Israel.

A day later, Hezbollah, a militant group in Lebanon, began firing rockets into northern Israel.

Last year also saw attempts to attack Israel by Iran-backed fighters in Iraq, as well as threats from Syria and Yemen-based Houthi fighters.

The Israeli military initially focused on Hamas in Gaza with a major land and air operation.

This meant that the capacity to respond to Hezbollah in Lebanon was limited, although around 60,000 Israeli civilians were forced to evacuate their homes due to the group’s attacks.

Over time, Israel’s willingness and ability to use force on a larger scale has grown.

The most significant backlash began in Lebanon last month. The attacks escalated and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an attack in Beirut.

According to Haynes, the Israeli government appears to be trying to shift the balance of power in the region by targeting Iranian proxies, which poses a major challenge for Tehran.

“The regime appears to have completely misjudged the risk Israel is willing to take, even if it means triggering an all-out war.”

You can check out her full statement below…