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The Israeli military launched a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon early on Sunday in what it said was an attempt to thwart a “major attack” by the militant group Hezbollah.
The gunfight was the biggest between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah since they fought a 34-day war in 2006 and marked a sharp escalation in hostilities that have been simmering between the two sides since war between Israel and Hamas began in Gaza last year.
Israel launched its attack shortly before 5 a.m. local time, sending 100 jets to bomb around 40 sites in Lebanon after seeing Hezbollah preparing to “fire missiles and rockets.”
Soon after, Hezbollah said it had fired more than 300 Katyusha rockets and numerous drones at 11 military targets in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, and sounded air raid sirens in the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting Sunday afternoon that the Israeli strikes had destroyed thousands of short-range rockets and all of the drones fired by Hezbollah, which he said were aimed at “strategic targets” in central Israel.
“[Hizbollah leader Hassan] With Nasrallah in Beirut [Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali] “Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran needs to understand that this is an additional step to turn the situation around in the north and allow residents to return safely to their homes,” Netanyahu said. “And I repeat, this is not the end of the story.”
Hezbollah said the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike last month in Beirut that killed one of its most senior leaders, Fouad Shukr.
Shukr’s killing came a day after the assassination in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, a political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, prompted Hezbollah and Iran to vow retaliation against Israel, raising fears the region was heading toward all-out war.
As the gun battle unfolded early Sunday morning, Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv suspended flights and Defense Minister Yoav Galant declared a “state of emergency” across the country, giving him the power to limit gatherings and restrict access to certain areas.
However, initial Israeli military assessments stated that the shelling caused “very little damage.” Casualties on both sides were limited, with one Israeli soldier killed and two wounded, and three Lebanese killed (all suspected militants). Air travel to and from Tel Aviv resumed by early afternoon, and some restrictions within Israel were lifted.
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes hit about 30 targets in southern Lebanon, mostly near the border but also inland. Images circulated by local media showed smoke rising into the sky over various forested areas and border villages where Hezbollah’s stationary launchers are believed to be located.
Hezbollah announced that its military operations had ended for the day after what it called the “first phase” of a coordinated attack to kill Shukr.
It added that “Israeli claims about pre-emptive strikes, identifying targets and thwarting attacks are empty claims and contradicted by facts on the ground,” and that Nasrallah would refute them in a speech later on Sunday.
Late Sunday morning, Israel carried out further attacks on Hezbollah launch pads in southern Lebanon, but on a much smaller scale than the pre-dawn raid.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati convened a meeting of ministers and senior officials to discuss the country’s contingency plans for further escalation. Mikati said the government was in contact with “friends in Lebanon” to stop the escalation. Some flights in and out of Beirut were canceled or delayed, but the airport remained open.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon and the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon called the developments “alarming” and called on all sides to cease firing.
The attack came as Egypt was due to hold the latest round of talks aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas, which the United States and Arab countries see as the best chance of preventing an all-out regional conflict.
The White House said US President Joe Biden was “closely monitoring the situation between Israel and Lebanon.”
Biden’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with his Israeli counterpart Gallant late Saturday and “discussed Israel’s defense against attacks by Hezbollah in Lebanon,” the Pentagon said.
Washington has sent additional warships and fighter jets to the region in recent weeks to deter Hezbollah and Iran and help defend Israel.
