Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel launched large-scale military operations against each other on August 25.
The Iran-backed militant group said that it fired 320 Katyusha rockets at 11 Israeli military sites. According to a statement from Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, several explosive drones have been launched, targeting key Israeli military sites.
In retaliation, Israel said that it has launched air strikes in southern Lebanon to thwart an offensive by the group. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had detected preparations by Hezbollah for “large-scale” attacks on Israeli territory. Israeli Air Force fighter jets have been deployed to neutralise these threats, focusing on Hezbollah positions that posed an immediate danger to Israeli civilians.
Hezbollah has just launched over 150 projectiles from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. We target terrorist infrastructure, they target civilians, the IDF said in a post on X (formally Twitter).
“In a self-defence act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians,” IDF Spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari said.
The Lebanese militant group attributed the latest escalation in tensions with Israel to the incident one of its commanders being killed in Beirut by the latter.
Hezbollah and its regional ally, Iran, had vowed to avenge the assassination of its military commander Fuad Shukr last month. The group has called the attack on its commander as a direct provocation and an act of war.
Sunday’s attack took place ahead of a new round of talks to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah has claimed that it will halt the fighting if there is a cease-fire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened a security cabinet meeting today. According to a statement from the PM’s office, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has declared a state of emergency across the country for the next 48 hours.