On August 25, 2024, as fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip continued and cross-border tensions continued to escalate, Israel carried out an airstrike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon, sending thick smoke billowing from the scene.
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Iran-backed Hezbollah said it fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel on Sunday in retaliation for the assassination of a top commander in Beirut last month, as the Israeli cabinet was meeting to prepare a response.
The military said Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon shortly before the attack as it assessed Hezbollah was preparing to launch an attack.
Hezbollah said it had fired more than 320 Katyusha rockets at Israel and hit 11 military targets. The statement said the barrage attack had completed the “first phase” of the response to the assassination of senior Beirut commander Fuad Shukr, but that a full response would take “some time.”
Expectations of an escalation between the two sides have grown since last month’s missile attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 teenagers and the Israeli military responded by assassinating Shoukr in Beirut.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli cabinet will meet at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT).
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Israel would respond to developments on the ground but would not seek all-out war. Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Israel would take all necessary measures to defend itself.
“We have conducted precision strikes in Lebanon to deter imminent threats to Israeli citizens. We are closely monitoring developments in Beirut and we are determined to use all available means to protect our citizens,” Galante said in a statement. Zhong said.
On August 25, 2024, a Hezbollah drone flew over northern Israel.
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An Israeli military spokesman said that most of Israel’s attacks have targeted targets in southern Lebanon, but that the Israeli military is ready to launch attacks wherever there is a threat.
Gallant declared a state of emergency and flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport were suspended for about 90 minutes, but airport authorities said normal operations were expected to resume at 7 a.m.
In northern Israel, sirens sounded and multiple explosions were heard around multiple areas as Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system shot down a rocket coming from southern Lebanon. Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service said it was on high alert across the country.
The Israeli military issued a civil defense directive from central to northern Israel, limiting gatherings but authorizing people to go to work as long as they could reach a bomb shelter quickly. There were no reports of casualties in Israel, according to the ambulance service.
Concerns about regional conflicts
Lebanese security sources said at least 40 Israeli attacks hit towns in the country’s south, one of the most intensive bombardments since hostilities began in October.
A boy runs past a car destroyed in the latest Israeli attack in Mes al-Jabbar, Lebanon, August 24, 2024.
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A resident of the southern Lebanese town of Zibqeen, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the border, told Reuters it was the first time he had been “woke up by the sound of planes and rocket explosions – even before dawn prayers”. It feels like the end of the world.
Israeli Army Radio quoted defense officials as saying the military assessed that Hezbollah was preparing to launch hundreds of missiles into central Israel in an attack planned for 5 a.m.
About 100 Israeli warplanes launched an attack half an hour ago, thwarting Hezbollah’s missile attack, the report said, adding that the military assessed that Hezbollah’s subsequent attack was “improvised.”
Military spokesman Major General Daniel Hagari said: “Currently, dozens of (Israeli Air Force) warplanes are attacking targets in multiple locations in southern Lebanon. We are continuing to eliminate threats and conduct intensive strikes against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
The escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has raised concerns about a wider regional conflict that could involve the United States and Iran. The White House said President Joe Biden was monitoring the situation closely.
On August 25, 2024, a Hezbollah drone was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force over northern Israel.
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National Security Council spokesman Sean Savitt said: “At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been in ongoing communication with their Israeli counterparts. We will continue to support Israel’s right to self-defense and we will continue to work for regional stability.”
The attack came as negotiators were meeting in Cairo in a last-ditch effort to end the fighting in Gaza and return Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Immediately after Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on October 7, Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel. Since then, Hezbollah and Israel have continued to exchange fire while avoiding a major escalation as the war in southern Gaza broke out.
This precarious balance appears to have shifted following the attack in the Golan Heights, for which Hezbollah denies responsibility, and the subsequent assassination of Shoukr, one of Hezbollah’s most senior military commanders in Beirut.
After Shoukr was killed in an airstrike, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran and Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel.
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