TEL AVIV: The Middle East was plunged into deeper crisis on Sunday as the Israeli military launched a series of airstrikes against Lebanon which was met with a retaliatory attack by Hezbollah with a huge number of drones.
“The IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organisation preparing to launch missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory. In response to these threats, the IDF is targeting terror sites in Lebanon,” the Israel Defense Forces stated.
Commenting on the strikes, Israel’s Foreign Minister Yoav Gallant said that the country does not want a full-scale war but will act according to the developments on the ground.
The Israeli military reported that its current attacks on Hezbollah are primarily focused in southern Lebanon but warned that strikes could extend to any location where a threat is identified.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it had launched more than 320 Katyusha rockets towards Israel and hit 11 military targets, stating that this was the the “first phase” of its response to the recent killing of its top commander in a strike on a Beirut suburb last month.
Following a missile strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights last month that killed 12 young people, tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have significantly increased.
In retaliation for the attack, the Israeli military assassinated Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, in Beirut. This response has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict potentially involving the United States and Iran. President Joe Biden has been closely monitoring the situation, according to the White House.
The situation was further worsened by the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, prompting Iran to vow retaliation against Israel.
Hezbollah responded to the October 7 attacks by Hamas gunmen on Israel by launching missiles at Israeli targets, leading to ongoing exchanges of fire between the two sides. Despite these exchanges, neither side has escalated to full-scale war, while the conflict in Gaza continues to unfold.
Agencies

Agencies