Those who harm us will face harm in return
Nas primeiras horas de um domingo, Israel e Hezbollah protagonizaram uma escalada sem precedentes no conflito que há décadas tensiona o Oriente Médio: aviões israelenses destruíram milhares de lançadores de foguetes no Líbano antes do amanhecer, enquanto o país declarava estado de emergência nacional de 48 horas. É um momento que recorda a fragilidade da paz construída sobre dissuasão — quando dois lados acreditam simultaneamente que agir primeiro é a única forma de sobreviver, o ciclo de violência se aprofunda, e as populações civis de ambos os lados ficam à espera do que vem a seguir.
- Israel lançou cerca de cem aeronaves contra o Líbano antes do amanhecer, destruindo milhares de plataformas de foguetes do Hezbollah que estavam posicionadas para atacar Tel Aviv e o Aeroporto Ben Gurion.
- Ao menos três civis libaneses morreram nas aldeias de At-Tiri e Khiam durante os ataques israelenses, enquanto o Hezbollah anunciava que o que havia sido interrompido era apenas a primeira fase de um ataque de grande escala.
- O ministro da Defesa israelense Yoav Gallant declarou estado de emergência nacional de 48 horas, fechando praias, selando o norte do país e exigindo que locais de trabalho operassem apenas com abrigos antiaéreos adequados.
- Com ambos os lados demonstrando capacidade militar significativa e determinação para continuar, civis israelenses e libaneses permanecem em estado de espera — a pergunta não é se haverá mais ataques, mas quando e com que intensidade.
Antes do amanhecer de domingo, Israel agiu. Por volta das cinco da manhã, cerca de cem aeronaves israelenses partiram em direção ao Líbano com um objetivo preciso: destruir lançadores de foguetes do Hezbollah já posicionados para atacar alvos estratégicos israelenses — o principal aeroporto internacional do país, prédios governamentais em Tel Aviv e instalações de inteligência militar.
A operação foi de grande escala. O exército israelense afirmou ter destruído milhares de plataformas de foguetes. O Ministério da Saúde do Líbano confirmou ao menos três mortos nas aldeias de At-Tiri e Khiam. O Hezbollah, por sua vez, descreveu o que havia sido interrompido como apenas a primeira fase de um ataque planejado.
O primeiro-ministro Benjamin Netanyahu convocou seu gabinete de segurança e declarou que Israel havia agido para prevenir algo pior. 'Aqueles que nos prejudicam enfrentarão prejuízo em troca', afirmou, dirigindo a mensagem tanto à população israelense quanto ao Hezbollah e seus apoiadores.
Ao longo da manhã de domingo, o país entrou em estado de emergência. O ministro da Defesa Yoav Gallant emitiu uma declaração de 48 horas, fechando praias ao sul de Rishon Letzion, selando o norte do país e restringindo o funcionamento de locais de trabalho sem abrigos adequados. A maioria das pessoas, especialmente no norte, simplesmente ficou em casa, esperando.
A questão que pairava sobre Tel Aviv e Beirute era a mesma: o que vem a seguir. Ambos os lados demonstraram capacidade e vontade de agir. As populações civis dos dois países aguardavam, entre o silêncio e a incerteza, as decisões que seriam tomadas nas próximas horas.
Before dawn on Sunday, Israel moved first. At five in the morning, with the sky still dark over Tel Aviv, roughly a hundred Israeli aircraft lifted off and headed north toward Lebanon. The target was clear: rocket launchers that, according to reporting from the New York Times, were already positioned and ready to fire. The intended destinations were strategic—the airport that serves as Israel's main international hub, government buildings in the capital, and facilities housing the country's military intelligence apparatus and secret service.
What followed was a massive air operation. The Israeli military destroyed what officials described as thousands of rocket platforms belonging to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that had been preparing what it called the first phase of a large-scale assault. The scale was significant enough that the Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed at least three people dead in the villages of At-Tiri and Khiam, struck during the Israeli campaign.
The timing was not accidental. Israel's leadership had intelligence suggesting an imminent attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet and spoke with the certainty of a leader who believed he had just prevented something worse. "We are resolved to do everything necessary to defend our country, to bring the residents of the north back home safely, and to enforce a straightforward principle," he said. "Those who harm us will face harm in return." The message was directed both inward, to reassure Israelis, and outward, as a warning to Hezbollah and its backers.
By Sunday morning, the country was in a state of emergency. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued the declaration for forty-eight hours, citing what he described as a substantial risk that attacks would continue against civilian areas beyond the north. Beaches from Rishon Letzion southward were closed. The entire northern region was sealed off. Workplaces could operate only if they had adequate bomb shelters. But most people, particularly in the north, chose not to go anywhere. They stayed home, waiting.
The emergency order reflected a calculation: Hezbollah had shown it possessed the capability and the will to strike deep into Israeli territory. The question now was whether it would follow through with the attack it had announced, and if so, what form it would take. Israel had struck first, but the confrontation was far from over. Both sides had demonstrated they had significant military resources and the determination to use them. What came next would depend on decisions being made in both Tel Aviv and Beirut, with the civilian populations of both countries bracing for what might follow.
Notable Quotes
We are resolved to do everything necessary to defend our country, to bring the residents of the north back home safely, and to enforce a straightforward principle: those who harm us will face harm in return.— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
I am convinced there is a substantial probability that attacks will be carried out against the civilian population in other areas of the country as well.— Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Israel strike first if Hezbollah hadn't actually launched yet?
Because the intelligence suggested the launchers were armed and ready. Waiting would have meant absorbing the first blow. Israel chose to eliminate the threat before it materialized.
How certain were they about what Hezbollah was planning to hit?
Certain enough to name specific targets—Tel Aviv, the airport, intelligence facilities. The New York Times reported the launchers were positioned for those strikes. That's not guesswork.
Three people dead seems low for an operation involving a hundred aircraft and thousands of targets.
It does. That could mean the strikes were precise, or it could mean the reporting is incomplete. Lebanon's Health Ministry gave that figure early on. The actual toll might have been higher.
Why declare a 48-hour emergency instead of something longer?
It's a statement of intent. Gallant was saying: we expect this to be resolved or clarified within two days. It's also a way to mobilize without declaring total war.
What happens when those 48 hours end?
That depends on whether Hezbollah launches the attack it promised. If it does, Israel will respond again. If it doesn't, both sides might step back. But the pattern suggests neither side is backing down.