In retaliation to Israel's extensive air strikes that killed Hezbollah's top commander Ibrahim Aqil and 14 others, the Iran-backed group attacked northern Israel and fired 140 rockets.
Israel's military confirmed the rockets were launched in three waves on Sep 20 afternoon targeting sites along the ravaged border with Lebanon.
Earlier, the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel and keep up daily strikes in the wake of the latter's attack on its members’ communication devices, which he described as a “severe blow.”
Before Hezbollah's attack, Israel carried out extensive air strikes on southern Lebanon hitting more than 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers and other "terrorist sites" including a weapons storage facility.
Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the targeted attack on thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies on Sep 17-18 which killed over 30 and injured thousands of others. Israel has, however, neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attacks.
Nasrallah said that with these deadly explosions, Israel has "crossed all red lines", and accused it of 'declaring a war'.
Meanwhile, Aqil, the commander who was killed, was head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force and was sought by the US for his involvement in the 1983 bombings of the US Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut. He had a $7 million bounty for the same.
Israel's attack on Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut targeted a gathering of top commanders that included 10 high-ranking officials.
According to Israeli military officials, Aqil was killed during a conference with other commanders to discuss future strikes against Israel, which would involve an invasion of northern Israeli territory.
The conference was characterized by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a component of Hezbollah's "Conquer the Galilee" plot, an operation designed to infiltrate Israeli communities.
Concerns about the increasing escalation have been voiced by the UN and regional players.
The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, urged moderation on all fronts. Iran, which backs Hezbollah, has also strongly denounced the strike, accusing Israel of extending the battle's geographical scope.
Hezbollah swore retaliation, while Iran's foreign ministry condemned the bombing as against international law. But Israel defended the operation, saying it was essential to its security as a nation.
Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari emphasized that Israel was committed to eliminating dangers to its people rather than pursuing a wider battle.
Since the Gaza conflict started on October 7 last year, Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers have been exchanging gunfire along the Israel-Lebanon border nearly every day.
The rocket attacks that Hezbollah has been launching into northern Israel have become more frequent in recent weeks. According to Lebanon's Health Ministry, the attack left around 66 people injured and over 10 people dead, with an estimated death toll to rise.
