Hezbollah declared Sunday morning the commencement of its retaliation for the killing of its military chief, Fouad Shukr, near Beirut in July. 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.
According to Hezbollah, the group launched 320 rockets at 11 targets in northern Israel, including the Meron and Ein Zeitim military bases and a series of border outposts. Lebanese media reported additional Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. There were also reports of a vehicle being hit in Al-Khiam, with casualties reported at the scene.
Video: IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari speaks about the operation / Credit: IDF
The Al-Mayadeen network, which is sympathetic to Hezbollah, described the group's response as "successful." The channel dismissed Israeli claims of a preemptive strike as a "military falsehood" and "internal deception of the public."
Video: PM Netanyahu speaks about the latest escalation with Hezbollah / Credit: GPO
The Lebanese outlet further claimed that Hezbollah's operation involved drones striking a "vital target" alongside the rocket barrage, which it said was intended to overwhelm Israel's Iron Dome defense system. The channel insisted that Hezbollah had hit a significant target deep inside Israeli territory. A source within Hezbollah told the Qatari Al-Arabi network that there were no casualties from Israeli attacks on over 30 targets because they had been evacuated in advance. The source also claimed that the group had struck two key targets in northern Tel Aviv, details of which would be announced later.
Lebanese media described the morning's events as the most extensive attacks in southern Lebanon since the start of the current conflict. Targets in the Tyre and Bint Jbeil areas were reportedly hit, along with numerous towns near the border. Casualties were reported in these attacks.
Al-Manar, a Lebanese news network affiliated with Hezbollah, reported the launch of a "military operation in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip." The network claimed that a drone was sent towards the Hermon outpost and that hundreds of rockets were fired towards the Galilee region. The channel's correspondents also reported Israeli Air Force strikes across southern Lebanon.
