The Lebanese Hezbollah militia has launched a retaliatory attack on Israel. According to its own statements, it previously hit 11 Israeli military facilities, fired more than 320 rockets and sent drones into northern Israel.
Israel declared a state of emergency; the army eventually struck dozens of targets in Lebanon. Shortly after, the Iran-aligned Shiite militia announced on Sunday that the retaliatory strike had ended — it was in response to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr last month.
“Iron Dome” intercepted missiles
Warning sirens were sounded in northern Israel. Explosions were also heard in several areas after the Iron Dome air defense system fired rockets from southern Lebanon. The Israeli emergency service said it was on high alert across the country.
The Israeli military, for its part, had earlier announced that it had attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Sunday. It was discovered that Hezbollah “is preparing to fire rockets and missiles into Israeli territory.” In a statement, the military warned that Hezbollah’s actions could lead to further escalation in the region.
Israel’s cabinet will meet tomorrow morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. Flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport have been suspended, but air traffic should resume as scheduled from 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. CEST), according to army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
The Defense Minister declared a state of emergency. The Foreign Ministry said it was not seeking war against Lebanon but would act depending on developments.
Israel targeted Hezbollah commander Shukr in Beirut on July 30, accused of being responsible for the shelling of the Golan Heights that killed 12 people a few days earlier.
Since the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas began more than ten months ago, the Hamas-affiliated Hezbollah militia from Lebanon has shelled targets in neighboring northern Israel on an almost daily basis. The Israeli army, in turn, regularly attacks targets in the neighboring country.
The US, Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating in the Gaza war, hope that an agreement in the negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza can also prevent an escalation of the conflict with Hezbollah and Iran and thus a conflagration in the Middle East. The discussions on this will continue in Cairo on Sunday.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
