Hezbollah subsequently launched more than 150 projectiles at the Jewish state.
By JNS
The Israeli military attacked sites preemptively in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah planned to launch rockets and missiles at Israel in an “extensive attack,” early in the morning on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Hezbollah subsequently launched more than 150 projectiles at the Jewish state from Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces stated. “We target terrorist infrastructure, they target civilians,” it said.
“Israel’s preemptive attack was aimed at missile launchers in Lebanon that had been programmed to be fired at 5 a.m. in the direction of Tel Aviv,” the New York Times reported, citing a western intelligence official, who “said that all the launchers that were targeted were destroyed and that Israel was anticipating a harsh response from Hezbollah.”
Israel’s strike followed “more than 6,700 rockets, missiles and explosive (drones) fired by Hezbollah at Israeli families, homes and communities since Oct. 8,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated.
Israel could see that Hezbollah was about to launch an “extensive attack” on the Jewish state, endangering the Lebanese civilians among whom the terror group embeds its weapons, Hagari added.
He told Lebanese civilians to vacate the areas in which Hezbollah is operating, as the terror group risks escalating conflict in the region.
Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s attacks on our civilians,” he said. “We are operating in self-defense from Hezbollah. … We are ready to do everything—everything—we need to defend the people of Israel.”
Hezbollah reportedly stated that its attack was in response to Israel killing its top commander Fuad Shukr last month.
Video circulating online purporting to depict Israel’s strike showed massive explosions lighting up the night sky in Lebanon, and Iron Dome interceptions over Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had met, and Netanyahu plans to convene the security cabinet at 7 a.m. local time, per his office.
Gallant called a “special situation on the home front,” a “declaration on the state of emergency (that) enables the IDF to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant,” per the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Gallant and U.S. Secretary of State Lloyd Austin had also spoken on Sunday Israel time, shortly before midnight in Washington, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry.
“We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel,” Gallant said, per an Israeli readout of the call. “We are closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens.”
Gallant and Austin “discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation,” and Gallant “emphasized that Israel’s defense establishment is determined to defend the citizens of Israel and will use all the means at its disposal to remove imminent threats,” per the Israeli readout. “The defense establishment is following developments in Beirut and is prepared to deploy defensive and offensive means.”
U.S. President Joe Biden “is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon,” stated Sean Savett, a spokesman for the National Security Council. “He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening.”
“At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts,” Savett added. “We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability.”
Ben Gurion International Airport was reportedly closed amid the attacks.
“Since Oct. 7, Hezbollah has been firing rockets against Israel, displacing up to 100,000 Israelis from their homes and communities—an unacceptable loss of sovereignty that no other country, including our own, would ever accept,” stated Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.).
“Israel is no exception to the rule of self-defense,” Torres said. “The Jewish state has a right to respond to the relentless rocket-fire from Hezbollah, which stands as the most heavily armed terrorist organization in the world and the most powerful proxy for the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“In addition to responding to 10 months of relentless rocket fire, Israel is acting on the basis of U.S.-Israeli intelligence revealing an imminent major attack from Hezbollah,” he added. “Hence the need for an Israeli strike that is both preemptive and defensive all at once.”
Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, stated that “Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets at Israel since Oct. 7.”
“Israel could not sit back and wait for thousands more to be fired into Israel, so tonight it struck preemptively to protect innocent civilians,” he added. “Israel has the right to defend itself and the obligation to protect its citizens in the face of ongoing Hezbollah attacks.”