Tensions along the northern border dramatically escalated Sunday morning after Hezbollah launched a barrage of approximately 200 rockets and missiles toward Israeli territory. The Lebanese terrorist group officially declared that the attack was in retaliation for the recent assassination of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
Video: The reported footage of the IDF pre-emptive attack on Lebanon on August 25 / Social media
Israel responded with strikes in Lebanon and called an emergency meeting of top security officials to address the rapidly unfolding situation, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduling an emergency meeting of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet for 7:00 a.m.. Following the meeting, Netanyahu addressed the nation.
Video: PM Netanyahu speaks about the latest escalation with Hezbollah / Credit: GPO
"This morning we identified Hezbollah preparations to attack Israel. In consensus with the defense minister and the IDF chief-of-staff, we directed the IDF initiate action to eliminate the threat," he noted. "Since then, the IDF has been taking strong action to foil the threats. It has eliminated thousands of rockets that were aimed at northern Israel. It is thwarting many other threats and is taking very strong action – both defensively and offensively. We are determined to do everything to defend our country, to return the residents of the north securely to their homes and to continue upholding a simple rule: Whoever harms us – we will harm them."
Video: IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari speaks about the operation / Credit: IDF
Late Saturday night, the IDF carried out preemptive strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after detecting the terror group's preparations to launch a significant missile and rocket attack against Israel. A Western intelligence source revealed that these initial strikes targeted long-range missile launchers primed to strike Tel Aviv at 5 a.m, according to the New York Times. The source confirmed that all identified launchers were successfully neutralized.
Air raid sirens blared across extensive areas of northern Israel, including the cities of Nahariya and Acre, as well as the Ein HaMifratz region. The IDF has indicated that the Home Front Command will issue critical safety instructions to residents in affected areas of the country.
Officials anticipate the possibility of further launches involving rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and potentially more advanced missile systems.
The United States is also closely monitoring the situation. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said that President Joe Biden is actively following developments in Israel and Lebanon and has directed security officials to maintain open lines of communication with their Israeli counterparts. The statement emphasized the US' ongoing commitment to supporting Israel's right to self-defense and its continued efforts to promote regional stability.
The Al-Mayadeen network, which is sympathetic to Hezbollah, described the group's response to the assassination of its de facto military chief Fuad Shukr as "successful." The channel dismissed Israeli claims of a preemptive strike as a "military falsehood" and "internal deception of the public." The Lebanese terror group stated that its "military operation" for the day had "concluded for today," adding that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, would deliver a speech later to counter Israeli statements.
