Jerusalem/Beirut, Aug 25 (EFE).- Three people, including a militant, were killed in southern Lebanon as Israeli jets launched a massive preemptive strike against Shia militant group Hezbollah, sparking fears of a broader conflict.
Israel said it used more than 100 jets to hit Hezbollah targets, while the militant group returned a barrage of drones and rockets in an exchange threatening a wider regional conflict.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that two people were killed in the southern town of Al Tiri by Israeli bombings, and a third was struck by “Israeli drones” while driving in the Lebanese municipality of Khiam.
While the deceased were not initially identified, the Shiite group Amal, a key Hezbollah ally, confirmed that its fighter Ayman Kamel Idris, from Khiam, was among those killed “while defending Lebanon and the south.
Two others were injured in the Israeli strikes, according to the Lebanese ministry.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that “100 IAF fighter jets, directed by IDF intelligence, struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers embedded in southern Lebanon.”
“Most of these launchers were aimed toward northern Israel and some were aimed toward central Israel. More than 40 launch areas in Lebanon were struck during the strikes.”
The Israeli strikes began early Sunday after the military identified Hezbollah preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory. The bulk of the operation, which Israel termed “real-time self-defense,” occurred shortly before 5 a.m. local time.
Shortly later, Hezbollah launched a retaliatory attack, deploying a large number of drones and rockets. The group said its “first phase” of attacks targeted 11 military sites in Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, with over 320 Katyusha rockets fired.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a 48-hour state of emergency to allow the army to issue directives to citizens, including restrictions on gatherings.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed operations from the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, coordinating with Gallant, who ed US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to assure him that the IDF strikes were defensive.
“We are determined to do everything to protect our country, return the residents of the north safely to their homes and continue to uphold a simple rule: whoever harms us – we harm them,” Netanyahu said during an emergency cabinet meeting at the base.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz reached out to foreign ministers worldwide, urging for Israel, while stressing that Israel does not seek an all-out war and will act according to developments on the ground.
Air raid sirens have continued to sound in the north along the border area with Lebanon.
The Magen David Adom emergency service raised its alert status to the highest level throughout the country and the Israel Airports Authority suspended flights leaving Ben Gurion International Airport for some hours.
The White House said Saturday night that President Joe Biden was monitoring events.
“We will keep ing Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability,” National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement.
Hezbollah aligned with Hamas in its war against Israel since October 2023, leading to near-daily cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, fueling fears of a broader regional conflict.
The Lebanese Shiite group, an ally of Iran, promised large-scale retaliation against Israel following the assassination of its senior commander Fuad Shukr on July 30, hours before another attack, attributed to Israel, killed Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
Since October, the cross-border conflict has resulted in at least 636 deaths, most of them on the Lebanese side, including 400 Hezbollah fighters.
In total, 586 people have died in Lebanon, including 124 civilians. In Israel, 49 people have been killed, including 23 soldiers and 26 civilians, 12 of whom were minors in an attack in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights. EFE
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