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Israel’s military launched a wave of air strikes in southern Lebanon in the early hours of Sunday, in what it said was an attempt to foil an “extensive attack” by the militant group Hizbollah.
The exchange of fire was the biggest between Israel and Iran-backed Hizbollah since they fought a 34-day war in 2006, and marked a sharp escalation of the hostilities that have simmered between the two sides since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza last year.
Israel began its attack shortly before 5am local time, deploying 100 jets to bomb about 40 sites in Lebanon after identifying what it said were preparations by Hizbollah “to fire missiles and rockets”.
Soon afterwards, Hizbollah said it had launched more than 300 Katyusha rockets and a large number of drones at 11 military targets in Israel’s north and the occupied Golan Heights, triggering air raid sirens across the area.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday afternoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s strike had destroyed thousands of short-range rockets and all the drones launched by Hizbollah — which he said had been meant to hit a “strategic target” in the centre of Israel.
“[Hizbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah in Beirut and [Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei in Tehran need to know that this is an additional step in changing the situation in the north, and returning our residents securely to their homes,” Netanyahu said. “And I reiterate — this is not the end of the story.”
Hizbollah said its barrage was a retaliation for Israel’s assassination last month of Fuad Shukr, one of its most senior commanders, in an air strike in Beirut.
The killing of Shukr was followed the next day by the assassination in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. It prompted both Hizbollah and Iran to pledge retaliation against Israel, fuelling fears the region could be sliding towards an all-out conflict.
As the exchange of fire unfolded early on Sunday, Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv suspended flights, and the country’s defence minister Yoav Gallant declared a “special situation” across the country, giving him powers to restrict gatherings and limit access to certain areas.
However, according to initial assessments by Israel’s military, the barrage caused “very little” damage. Casualties on both sides were also limited, with one Israeli soldier killed and two wounded and three people — all presumed to be militants — killed in Lebanon. By early afternoon, flights to and from Tel Aviv had resumed, and some restrictions in Israel had been lifted.
In Lebanon, the Israeli strikes hit around 30 different targets in the south of the country, mostly in areas close to the border, but some further inland. Images circulated in local media showed smoke rising above various wooded areas, which are likely to be where Hizbollah’s static launchers are positioned, and villages along the border.
Hizbollah said after its salvo — which it described as the “first phase” of its response to Shukr’s killing — that its military operation was over for the day.
It added that “Israeli claims about their pre-emptive actions, their successful targets, and their disruption of the attack are empty allegations and contradict the facts on the ground” and would be refuted in a speech by Nasrallah later on Sunday.
Later on Sunday morning, Israel carried out further strikes on Hizbollah launchers in southern Lebanon, but on a far smaller scale than during its pre-dawn raid.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati convened cabinet ministers and senior officials to discuss the country’s emergency plans in case of a further escalation. Mikati said his government was in touch with “Lebanon’s friends to stop the escalation”. Some flights to and from Beirut were cancelled or delayed, but the airport remained open.
The UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon and the office of the UN’s special co-ordinator for the country called the developments “worrying” and urged all sides to halt fire.
The attacks came as Egypt was due to host the latest round of talks aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas. The US and Arab states see the talks as the best chance of preventing a full-on regional conflict.
US President Joe Biden was “closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon”, according to the White House.
Biden’s defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gallant late on Saturday “to discuss Israel’s defence against Lebanese Hizbollah attacks”, the Pentagon said.
Washington has deployed additional warships and fighter aircraft to the region in recent weeks to deter Hizbollah and Iran and to help defend Israel.