JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon early Sunday in what it said was a preemptive strike to head off a major attack by Hezbollah. The militant group responded by firing hundreds of rockets and drones to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders last month.
Both sides then appeared to be seeking a retreat, signalling that there would be no further immediate escalation, but the situation remained tense. The exchange came as Egypt was holding high-level talks on a ceasefire in the Ten months of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Stripwhich diplomats hope will ease regional tensions.
The Israeli military said the attack was carried out because Hezbollah was planning a major rocket attack. Shortly afterwards, Hezbollah said it had launched an attack as a first response to the attacks on Israeli military positions. the murder of Fouad Shukur in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.
The heavy exchange of fire ended by mid-morning. Both sides said they had only attacked military targets. At least three fighters were killed in the attacks on Lebanon. There were no reports of casualties from Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at northern Israel and shot down drones heading toward the center of the country, saying it was another step toward changing the situation on the border.
“I repeat – this is not the end of the story,” he added.
Air raid sirens and flight diversions
Air raid sirens were reported across northern Israel, and Israel’s international airport was closed for about an hour and flights diverted due to the threat of an attack. Israel’s Home Front Command raised the alert level across northern Israel before later lifting restrictions in most areas.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said Hezbollah had planned to attack targets in northern and central Israel. He said initial assessments showed “very little damage” in Israel, but the military remained on high alert. He said around 100 Israeli aircraft were involved in Sunday’s attacks.
Two Hezbollah fighters and one fighter from an allied group were killed, the groups said. The Lebanese Health Ministry said two people were injured.
Hezbollah said its attack included more than 320 Katyusha rockets against several sites in Israel, as well as a “large number” of drones. The operation targeted “a qualitative Israeli military target to be announced later,” as well as “enemy sites and barracks, as well as Iron Dome (missile defense) platforms.”
Hezbollah said the strikes would allow it to launch further attacks deeper inside Israel. However, a later statement said that “military operations for today have ended.” Israel’s claim that it had foiled a larger attack was rejected. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah provided evidence for their claims.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was scheduled to give a speech later Sunday.
After an emergency meeting of the Lebanese interim government, Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam said officials were “somewhat more optimistic” about de-escalation.
“We feel more reassured since both sides have confirmed that the expected operations have ended and we know that the negotiations in Cairo are being taken very seriously,” he said.
President Joe Biden is “closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon,” according to Sean Savett, a spokesman for the National Security Council.
The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed Israel’s defense with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown is on a visit to the region that is expected to take him to Israel, Egypt and Jordan.
A total war seems to have been averted for now
Randa Slim of the Middle East Institute in Washington DC said the exchange on Sunday morning “still complied with the rules of engagement and was unlikely at this point to lead to a full-scale war.”
Danny Citrinowicz, an expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Hezbollah may be trying to “keep the balance without starting a war.” Both sides now hope their narratives are enough to declare victory and avoid a larger confrontation, he said.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after the war in Gaza began, sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7. Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire almost daily, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border.
Hezbollah, which experienced a stalemate in the fight against Israel in the summer of 2006, is considered far more powerful than during that conflict. The US and Israel estimate that the group has about 150,000 rockets and is capable of striking anywhere in Israel. The group has also developed drones that can evade Israel’s defenses and precision-guided munitions.
Israel has vowed a devastating response to any major Hezbollah attack. It has an extensive multi-layered missile defense system and is backed by a US-led coalition that helped it shoot down hundreds of missiles and drones fired from Iran earlier this year. The US military has Building up his strength throughout the region in recent weeks.
Hezbollah is a close ally of Iran. also threatened retaliation against Israel for the killing of a senior Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an explosion in Tehran last month. Israel has not said whether it was involved.
Iranian state media on Sunday played up Hezbollah’s attack and described it as a success. However, Iranian officials did not immediately comment.
The US and other mediators see a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as the key to averting a larger conflict in the Middle East. Hezbollah has announced that it will stop its attacks on Israel if there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
On Sunday, Egypt will host high-level talks in Cairo, which will focus on Closing gaps in an evolving proposal for a ceasefire and the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas. The talks were expected to include CIA Director William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
Hamas has sent a delegation to the Egyptian capital to be briefed by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, but is not participating directly in the negotiations.
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Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Aamer Madhani in Buellton, California, contributed.
