DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Israel says it attacked southern Lebanon to ‘preempt’ a Hezbollah attack on northern Israeli towns.
Hezbollah says it has completed the first phase of its attack on Israel with “a large number of missiles” in response to the killing of commander Fuad Shukr at the end of July.
The Lebanese group said in a statement on Sunday that it fired more than 320 Katyusha rockets at 11 Israeli military bases and barracks, including the Meron base and four sites in the occupied Golan Heights.
It said it targeted military bases to “facilitate the passage of drones” towards their desired targets deep inside Israel. “And the drones have passed as planned.”
This comes as Israel launched a series of intense air strikes on southern Lebanon early on Sunday in what it said was a “preemptive” attack launched when Hezbollah’s preparation to attack northern Israel was detected.
While Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging tit-for-tat attacks across the border with some intensity since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October, this marks a significant escalation.
“Most of the Israeli strikes on Lebanon were in the border area, up to 5km [3 miles] deep along the 12km [74-mile] border,” said Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut.
“The border area is now a military zone. It’s been evacuated of civilians. It’s been repeatedly hit by the Israeli army in recent months.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene a meeting of the Security Council on Sunday morning while the defence minister has declared a “special situation” for 48 hours.
Israel’s Ben Gurion airport was closed in the early hours of the morning, while reports emerged of injuries in northern Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli cities opened public bomb shelters.
“There are reports that this initial wave of attacks in southern Lebanon has now ended, so we’re waiting to hear from the Israeli military to see whether or not they plan to carry out more strikes, which could, in turn, trigger a Hezbollah response and expand this conflict,” Khodr said.
“This is, and has been, a very dangerous conflict, even though largely contained, there is a real concern that it could expand and spiral out of control.”
Global concern that Israel’s war will escalate into an all-out regional conflict multiplied after the assassination last month of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and of Shukr in Beirut – both blamed on Israel.
Sunday’s attack came as Egypt hosted a new round of talks aimed at ending Israel’s war on Gaza, now in its 11th month. Hezbollah has said it will halt the fighting if there is a ceasefire.
More to follow.
