JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel launched a series of intensive airstrikes in southern Lebanon early Sunday, calling them a preemptive strike on the militant group Hezbollah, threatening to spark a broader war in the region that could derail efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.
The military said Hezbollah planned to fire a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles at Israel. The Iran-backed group had vowed revenge for Israel's killing of a top commander late last month.
Air raid sirens sounded throughout northern Israel and Ben-Gurion International Airport began diverting incoming flights and delaying departures.
Shortly after, Hezbollah announced that it had launched an attack on Israel with a “large number of drones” in an initial response to the killing of Fouad Shukur, a top commander of the group, in a raid on the southern outskirts of Beirut last month.
Hezbollah said the strike targeted “a high-quality Israeli military target to be announced later” as well as “a number of enemy sites, barracks and Iron Dome platforms.”
The attack came as Egypt hosts a new round of talks aimed at ending Israel's war against Hamas, now in its 11th month. Hezbollah has said it will end fighting if a ceasefire is reached.
Last week, Israel's defense minister said he would send more troops to the Lebanese border, fearing possible fighting with the Iran-backed group.
Israel's military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said Sunday morning: “In a self-defense action to eliminate these threats, the (Israeli army) is striking terrorist targets in Lebanon from which Hezbollah planned to launch its attacks against Israeli civilians.”
“We can see that Hezbollah is preparing for a large-scale attack on Israel, while Lebanese civilians are being put in danger,” he added, without providing details. “We warn civilians who are in the areas where Hezbollah is active to immediately get out of the danger zone for their own safety,” he added.
Lebanese media reported strikes in the south of the country without immediately giving more details. Social media images showed what appeared to be strikes in southern Lebanon.
Israeli media cited the Israel Airports Authority for news of the flight cancellations. Flight tracking data showed that at least two El Al flights veered far south and were diverted after the announcement.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after the war with Hamas broke out on October 7 with a Hamas border attack. Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire almost daily, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border and raising fears that the fighting could escalate into all-out war. But as of Sunday, both sides had been careful not to ignite a larger conflagration.
Hezbollah is seen as far more powerful than its ally Hamas, with an estimated arsenal of 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles. In recent months, the group has also stepped up its use of drones, which Israel is less able to defend against.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were leading the latest operation from military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Gallant said there was a “special situation on the home front” and Netanyahu's security cabinet was scheduled to meet later Sunday morning.
