“Approximately 100 IAF (Israeli Air Force) fighter jets (…) struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers that were installed in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement. “Most of these launchers were aimed at northern Israel, and some were aimed at central Israel.”
A little earlier, Hezbollah announced a large-scale rocket and drone attack on Israel. It is said to be an “initial response” to the killing of a floor commander.
Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters that Hezbollah “launched hundreds of rockets and drones into northern Israel,” most of them after Israel launched its attack. The fire launched by Hezbollah was “part of a larger attack that was planned and we were able to repel a large part of it this morning,” Shoshanis said. He declined to specify who Hezbollah was targeting.
“We are still assessing the effects of the attack,” the spokesman said.
“However, I can say that the damage was not done,” he said.
N. Shoshanis noted that Israel’s partners, including the United States, did not participate in Sunday’s attack against Hezbollah. “There was an Israeli operation this morning,” he assured.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its military operation against Israeli positions had been completed. The group denied claims that Israel foiled the attack.
In addition, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that one person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a car in the southern village of Khiam on Sunday. Hezbollah’s ally Amal Movement later announced that one gunman from Khiam had been killed.
Another strike by Israel
Israel’s military said it carried out more attacks on Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon on Sunday, hours after announcing a pre-emptive strike against the Lebanese group.
“In the past hour, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) struck Hezbollah rocket launchers in several areas in southern Lebanon to eliminate the threat,” the military said.
Earlier, Israel said it expected a “wide-ranging” response from Hezbollah and declared a 48-hour state of emergency, giving the military special powers.
Mass attack by Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement on Sunday announced a large-scale missile and drone strike against Israel in what it said was an “initial response” to the killing of a top commander.
A little earlier, the Israeli army, for its part, announced that it was carrying out a series of preemptive strikes aimed at this group.
In the context of an “initial response” to the killing of its commander Fuad Shukr last month, the Hezbollah movement said it had launched an “air attack” using a large number of drones targeting areas deep in Israel, it said in a statement. It said the bombers had also targeted “enemy positions and barracks and Iron Dome platforms” with a “large number of missiles” and “it will take some time for military operations to be completed”.
Hezbollah claimed to have fired more than 320 Katyusha rockets into Israel “towards enemy positions”. 11 Israeli bases and barracks, among others, in the annexed Golan Heights were reportedly targeted.
The group noted that “the first phase was a complete success,” adding that this phase sought to “target Israeli barracks and positions to facilitate the penetration of attack drones towards targets” deep inside Israel.
Hezbollah also said it was on “high alert”, adding that if “civilians are harmed, there will be a very severe punishment”.
The Lebanese news agency NNA reported Israeli strikes in a number of locations in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a nationwide curfew from 6 a.m. (in local and Lithuanian time) within 48 hours. duration of the state of emergency. This will allow the Israeli military to issue orders to Israeli citizens, including limiting gatherings and closing certain locations, Gallant was quoted as saying in the statement.
At the same time, it was reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 7 am. will hold a security cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, the United States said in the wake of the latest developments that it would continue to “support Israel’s right to self-defense.”
Since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas sparked a war in the Gaza Strip, Hamas’s ally, the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, has regularly exchanged fire with Israel. But fears of a full-scale conflict have grown since Iran and Hezbollah vowed to avenge the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, blamed on Israel, and an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed senior Hezbollah commander F. Shukr.
UK minister: major regional war in Middle East ‘real danger’
A UK cabinet minister said the government was “deeply concerned” after Israel carried out airstrikes in Lebanon and Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah fired a barrage of drones and rockets at northern Israel. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden called on both sides to exercise restraint to avoid a “major regional war” in the Middle East.
Speaking to Sky News, he said:
“Even in the face of such developments, the UK Government and the international community would like to urge all countries to de-escalate the situation further and avoid a major regional war.” This is the real danger facing this region. We hope it doesn’t become that, and we hope we can de-escalate the situation after that.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Iran’s president by phone this month not to attack Israel.
2024-08-25 12:23:35