The Israeli military is striking terror targets in Lebanon after identifying Hezbollah was preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory, Israel Defense Force spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Aug 25.
”In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon. Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians,” Hagari said.
At least 200 rockets had been launched from Lebanon towards Israel on the morning of Aug 25, with no reports of injuries so far, said media reports quoting IDF officials.
Meanwhile Hezbollah said the “first phase” of its strikes against Israel “has ended with complete success,” claiming that it launched 320 rockets and a barrage of drones toward Israel.
Israel’s latest strike in Lebanon came after its military said on Aug 24 that it was prepared for any possible retaliatory attacks by Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah or Iran for the killings of its senior leaders.
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant has declared a “‘special situation on the home front’ across the country,” which enables the Israeli military to issue instructions to citizens, “including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant.”
Gallant has also briefed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, flights have resumed at Tel Aviv airport after being temporarily suspended for less than two hours on Sunday. The latest strikes between Israel and Hezbollah come as negotiations toward a ceasefire and hostage deal in Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza continue.
Before the strikes, US officials said the talks between Israel and Hamas were at an advanced stage after months of feverish negotiations. The latest exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah could disrupt those talks.
Senior negotiators met on Aug 24 in Cairo, where they were expected to discuss remaining sticking points over a potential three-phase agreement.
Hezbollah is carrying out strikes towards Israel in response to the killing of top military commander Fu’ad Shukr last month in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a populous neighborhood that is also the Iran-backed group’s stronghold.
The Israeli military and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire for months, and the cross-border hostilities have raised the specter of a regional conflagration, which have prompted intense diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
‘US monitoring the situation’
US President Joseph Biden is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon, the White House said on Aug 24.
“He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening. At his direction, senior US officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts. We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability,” National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement
Rocket fire toward Israel by Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon has become a near-daily occurrence since the outbreak of war in Gaza, but there has been an increasing number of skirmishes.
Hezbollah claimed on Aug 23, it carried out at least 15 strikes against Israel. Hezbollah also acknowledged the death of seven fighters on Friday but did not specify where or when they were killed. The IDF said a total of 110 projectiles were launched from Lebanon towards Israel on Aug 23, marking one of the fiercest days of cross-border fire in recent weeks.
