Israeli Military Airstrikes Target Hezbollah In 'Preemptive Attack' In Lebanon

Israel launched a series of airstrikes Sunday, against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, which it claimed, is a “preemptive attack” to prevent an imminent drone and rocket strike by the militant group against the Jewish nation.

The Israeli military claimed it detected preparations by Hezbollah to launch rockets and missiles, prompting the Jewish nation to preemptively launch nearly 40 airstrikes in southern Lebanon, targeting the militant group's rocket launchers, command centers, and military infrastructure. The strikes were carried out by fighter jets, including F-35s, and attack helicopters.

Hezbollah responded with over 300 rockets and drones, targeting Israeli military positions and civilian areas. The Israeli military said it intercepted many of the incoming projectiles with its Iron Dome defense systems.

At least three deaths reportedly occurred in Lebanon and one on the Israeli side during the military strikes.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah claimed in a speech, that the militant group had targeted a strategic Israeli location, and denied earlier claims by Israel that his group intended to fire 6000 rockets and drones at the Jewish state.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the raids “destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, all of which were designed to attack our citizens and our forces in the Galilee” in northern Israel. He also said the IDF had “intercepted all of the drones that Hezbollah launched at a strategic target in the centre of the country.”

Netanyahu did not name the target but Nasrallah described it as “a military intelligence base 110km inside Israeli territory” just outside Tel Aviv, an apparent reference to the Glilot military base, home to the Mossad spy agency and military intelligence agencies such as the Unit 8200 electronic surveillance section.

“Nasrallah in Beirut and [Iranian supreme leader] 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 told the cabinet meeting. “And I reiterate – this is not the end of the story.”

The airstrikes occurred amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which have been escalating since October 2023, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian war in Gaza.

Both sides appear to have pulled back from further escalation for now, with Lebanon’s caretaker Economy Minister expressing optimism about a de-escalation.