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Israel says it struck southern Lebanon to “stop” a Hezbollah assault on northern Israeli cities.
Hezbollah claims to have accomplished the primary part of its assault on Israel with “numerous missiles” in response to the killing of commander Fuad Shukr in late July.
The Lebanese group mentioned in an announcement on Sunday that it fired greater than 320 Katyusha rockets at 11 Israeli navy bases and barracks, together with the Meron base and 4 websites within the occupied Golan Heights.
He mentioned the goal was navy bases to “facilitate the passage of drones” to their desired targets inside Israel. “And the drones have handed by as deliberate.”
This comes after Israel launched a collection of intense airstrikes in southern Lebanon early on Sunday in what it mentioned was a “preemptive” strike launched when it detected Hezbollah making ready to assault northern Israel.
Whereas Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging tit-for-tat assaults throughout the border with some depth for the reason that begin of Israel’s battle in Gaza, this marks a major escalation.
“Many of the Israeli assaults on Lebanon happened within the border space, as much as 5 kilometres deep alongside the 120-kilometre border,” mentioned Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut.
“The border space is now a navy zone. It has been evacuated of civilians. It has been repeatedly attacked by the Israeli military in current months.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is predicted to name a gathering of the Safety Council on Sunday morning, whereas the defence minister has declared a “particular scenario” for 48 hours.
Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed within the early hours of the morning and a few stories of accidents emerged in northern Israel; in the meantime, cities opened public bomb shelters.
“There are stories that this preliminary wave of assaults in southern Lebanon has already ended, so we’re ready for information from the Israeli navy to see whether or not or not they plan to hold out additional assaults, which in flip may set off a response from Hezbollah and increase this battle,” Khodr mentioned.
“That is and has been a really harmful battle, though it’s largely contained, there may be actual concern that it may unfold and spiral uncontrolled.”
World concern that Israel’s battle may escalate right into a full-blown regional battle has multiplied after final month’s assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and of Shukr in Beirut, each blamed on Israel.
Sunday’s assault got here as Egypt hosts a brand new spherical of talks geared toward ending Israel’s 11-month-old battle on Gaza. Hezbollah has mentioned it would cease preventing if a ceasefire is reached.
We’ll proceed to report extra.
