What Are Israel's Objectives Behind the Massive Attacks on Lebanon Since 1982?

Lebanon is experiencing an unprecedented military escalation by the Israeli occupying forces on Wednesday (9/4/2026). The attacks targeted the capital Beirut and vast areas stretching from southern to northern Lebanon, amid ongoing international negotiations regarding a ceasefire with Iran. Israel launched airstrikes within minutes, targeting two apartment blocks and more than 100 civilian buildings, according to an interactive map broadcast by Al Jazeera, as quoted on Thursday (9/4/2026). Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yisrael Katz stated that hundreds of Hezbollah members were targeted in sudden strikes on their headquarters across Lebanon, in the largest concentrated attack. In this context, military expert Brigadier General Elias Hanna said that Israel’s attacks occurred in a critical situation, where the ceasefire agreement with Iran includes points involving Lebanon, making the Israeli strikes surprising and long-planned. Hanna—in a military analysis segment on Al Jazeera—mentioned that the airstrikes were not limited to the southern outskirts of Beirut but encompassed the entire capital, south and north of the Litani River, as well as the Bekaa Valley. “The attacks appear to be specifically aimed at Hezbollah leadership, but they broadly affected civilians and residential buildings,” he emphasised. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, in a statement, threatened that the troops would continue relentless airstrikes on Lebanon. Meanwhile, Katz said Israel insists on separating the war with Iran from the fighting in Lebanon, on the grounds that it is to change the reality in Lebanon and eliminate the threats facing northern Israel.