A man surveys the damage to a house in Acre, Israel, after it was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon on August 25. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images

By Benjamin Cohen
25 August 2024

A fleet of more than 100 Israeli fighter jets attacked dozens of targets in southern Lebanon early Sunday morning in an effort to thwart what Israel said was an imminent major Hezbollah attack. Some of the rocket launchers aimed at Tel Aviv were scheduled to fire at 5 a.m., intelligence officials said.

According to the Ministry of Health, at least three people were killed and two injured in Lebanon.

In response, Hezbollah said it fired hundreds of rockets at military bases in the direction of Israel. However, most were intercepted or landed in open fields. Only minor damage and injuries were reported.

It was the heaviest fighting on the northern border in months. Both Israel and Hezbollah described the fighting as successful, and Hamas praised Hezbollah for its attack.

Netanyahu addressed the news at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying it was a “powerful preemptive strike to eliminate the threat.”

He continued: “Israel is dealing surprise, devastating blows to Hezbollah. Three weeks ago we eliminated their chief of staff. Today we have foiled their attack plan,” adding: “This is another step towards changing the situation in the north and the safe return of our residents to their homes.”

Hezbollah said its operation was “over for today” and that this was the first phase of retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut in July. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to speak at 11 a.m. ET.

This is not “the end of the story,” Netanyahu said.

Zoom out

All this is happening against the backdrop of the possibility of a larger regional war.

Iran is still considering how to respond to the July 31 attacks. Killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehranthe political leader of Hamas. Israel has been preparing for an Iranian attack for nearly a month. But Iran appears to have put its plans on hold as the latest round of hostage-trading ceasefire talks continue. Officials from the US, Egypt and Qatar plan to meet in Cairo today to further hammer out the details of a plan. Regardless, it is unclear whether the two main players – Israel and Hamas – will be able to move closer to a peace deal that could ultimately avert a larger war.

JTA contributed to this report.