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Israel says it attacked southern Lebanon to ‘preempt’ a Hezbollah assault on northern Israeli cities.
Hezbollah says it has accomplished the primary section of its assault on Israel with “numerous missiles” in response to the killing of commander Fuad Shukr on the finish of July.
The Lebanese group stated in a press release on Sunday that it fired greater than 320 Katyusha rockets at 11 Israeli army bases and barracks, together with the Meron base and 4 websites within the occupied Golan Heights.
It stated it focused army bases to “facilitate the passage of drones” in direction of their desired targets deep inside Israel. “And the drones have handed as deliberate.”
This comes as Israel launched a sequence of intense air strikes on southern Lebanon early on Sunday in what it stated was a “preemptive” assault launched when Hezbollah’s preparation to assault northern Israel was detected.
Whereas Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging tit-for-tat assaults throughout the border with some depth because the begin of Israel’s conflict on Gaza in October, this marks a big escalation.
“A lot of the Israeli strikes on Lebanon have been within the border space, as much as 5km [3 miles] deep alongside the 12km [74-mile] border,” stated Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut.
“The border space is now a army zone. It’s been evacuated of civilians. It’s been repeatedly hit by the Israeli military in current months.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is predicted to convene a gathering of the Safety Council on Sunday morning whereas the defence minister has declared a “particular state of affairs” for 48 hours.
Israel’s Ben Gurion airport was closed within the early hours of the morning, whereas studies emerged of accidents in northern Israel. In the meantime, Israeli cities opened public bomb shelters.
“There are studies that this preliminary wave of assaults in southern Lebanon has now ended, so we’re ready to listen to from the Israeli army to see whether or not or not they plan to hold out extra strikes, which might, in flip, set off a Hezbollah response and develop this battle,” Khodr stated.
“That is, and has been, a really harmful battle, although largely contained, there’s a actual concern that it might develop and spiral uncontrolled.”
World concern that Israel’s conflict will escalate into an all-out regional battle multiplied after the assassination final month of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and of Shukr in Beirut – each blamed on Israel.
Sunday’s assault got here as Egypt hosted a brand new spherical of talks aimed toward ending Israel’s conflict on Gaza, now in its eleventh month. Hezbollah has stated it should halt the preventing if there’s a ceasefire.
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