The Israeli military announced early Sunday that it had conducted a series of preemptive strikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, citing intelligence that suggested the militant group was preparing to launch an attack. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated in a video on X that the operations were carried out in “self-defense” to eliminate perceived threats.
In retaliation, Hezbollah reported that it had launched rockets and drones at Israel, claiming this was a response to the killing of a senior commander in July. The Israeli military stated that Hezbollah fired over 150 projectiles towards Israel.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett indicated that President Biden was “closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon.”
Photographs from northern Israel depicted an Israeli Air Force fighter jet deploying flares to intercept a hostile aircraft that originated from Lebanon during Sunday’s escalation.
These attacks occurred amidst a new round of cease-fire negotiations in Egypt, aimed at brokering a deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. This comes after nearly 11 months of conflict following the surprise attack on Israel on October 7. Talks were scheduled to continue on Sunday with delegations from Israel and international mediators, including the U.S.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the strikes against Hezbollah were not the final measure, emphasizing during a cabinet meeting that he wanted Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to understand that this operation was a significant step toward improving the security situation in northern Israel.
Hezbollah has received financial and military support from Iran.
During a public address, Nasrallah revealed that the group had postponed its retaliatory strikes due to recent military mobilizations by Israel and the U.S. He asserted that the target of Hezbollah’s attacks was an Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv, avoiding civilian areas, and that they began their counteroffensive shortly after Israel’s initial strikes.
The health ministry in Lebanon confirmed that three individuals were killed in the strikes, while the Israeli military reported that one soldier died aboard a Navy vessel, and two others were injured.
The Israeli military claimed it targeted over 40 sites associated with Hezbollah and destroyed significant quantities of rocket launchers aimed at northern and central Israel.
Tensions had escalated following the deaths of prominent Hezbollah and Hamas leaders last month, leading both groups to threaten retaliation against Israel. However, officials in Israel, Lebanon, and surrounding regions expressed caution about allowing the situation to spiral into a broader conflict.
Nasrallah mentioned that Hezbollah would evaluate the outcomes of their operations and might launch further attacks if they deemed the results inadequate.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the necessity of preventing regional escalation with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, underscoring their shared commitment to ensuring Israel’s defense and maintaining regional stability.