Hezbollah joined the fighting against Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after Operation Iron Swords began,[2] and opened a front on Israel’s northern border, attacking IDF posts and military crews along the border. The IDF has responded by firing artillery at the sources of the rocket attacks and by attacking Hezbollah facilities in south Lebanon. In the wake of the tense situation and the fear of escalation, residents of villages and towns in south Lebanon began to move to northern areas, noteworthy because Hezbollah usually places its posts and bases in or near civilian settlements.