Despite these attacks, Hezbollah claimed to have fired 320 rockets and drones at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of one of its senior commanders. Israel's military also reported that an Israeli navy soldier was killed during the exchange.
This escalation comes after ten months of rising hostilities between the two sides, fueling fears of a potential full-scale war. Since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7, there have been nearly daily exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah has aligned its actions with Hamas, both groups receiving support from Iran. The ongoing hostilities have resulted in over 560 deaths in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters, while 26 civilians and 23 soldiers have been killed in Israel.
The airstrikes, which began around 04:30 on Sunday, were the most extensive since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli Defense Forces stated that the strikes targeted more than 40 locations across southern Lebanon in response to what they described as Hezbollah's "extensive preparations" for a large-scale attack.
Lebanon's National News Agency reported that Israeli aircraft struck several locations, including Beaufort Castle and various towns in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese ministry of public health confirmed casualties, including a person killed in a drone strike on a car in Khiam and two others killed in the village of Tiri.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that the preemptive strikes were necessary to neutralize the threat posed by Hezbollah. He claimed that all drones launched by Hezbollah were intercepted, and short-range rockets were destroyed.
In retaliation, Hezbollah claimed to have targeted 11 Israeli military sites with more than 320 Katyusha rockets, framing the attack as a response to the killing of their senior commander Fuad Shukr in July. Hezbollah dismissed Israel's claims of thwarting a larger attack as unfounded.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah later stated that the group had targeted a military intelligence base deep within Israeli territory, near Tel Aviv. He warned that Hezbollah would retaliate further if the results of their attack were deemed insufficient.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who has limited influence over Hezbollah, called for an end to the escalation and supported international efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. The U.S. views a ceasefire in Gaza as critical to de-escalating tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, as Hezbollah has vowed to continue hostilities until the fighting in Gaza ceases. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence officials traveled to Egypt for talks with the CIA director and Qatar's prime minister, aiming to de-escalate the situation.
