Israel thwarts Hezbollah retaliation attack as tensions flare
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The news: About 100 Israeli warplanes struck over 40 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Sunday, thwarting what the Israeli military described as preparations for a large-scale attack involving hundreds of rockets and drones.
The numbers: Hezbollah said it launched over 320 rockets and drones at Israeli military targets in retaliation for last month’s assassination of a senior commander.
The attack killed one Israeli navy officer and wounded two others, though significant damage was largely avoided.
In Lebanon, the Health Ministry said that at least three people had been killed and two others hurt by Israel’s strikes, The New York Times reported.
The context: Both Israel and Hezbollah signalled a pause in hostilities, while diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza continued in Cairo.
The clashes, among the most intense in months, have nonetheless heightened fears of a broader conflict in the region. Israel declared a nation-wide 48-hour state of emergency.
What they said: Hezbollah said the “first phase” of its retaliation plans for Israel’s assassination of senior commander Faud Shukr in July, had “ended with complete success.”
Israel's foreign minister said the nation was not seeking an all-out war. Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned "what happened today is not the final word."
US President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told media.
The sources: The New York Times , Reuters , Bloomberg
