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Israeli fighter jets have carried out airstrikes in Lebanon after the military determined that the prepared to fire rockets and missiles into Israel.
The army also warned Israelis of approaching rockets and drones from Hezbollah. The government declared a 48-hour state of emergency.
Hezbollah issued a statement shortly after announcing large-scale launches of drones and missiles targeting deep Israeli territory in retaliation for the killing of its .
The United States responded by reaffirming its “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s defense and said it was “in a position” to support its ally.
The Middle East after the group and its patron Iran vowed to respond to the attack in Beirut and the assassination in Tehran of the political leader of Hezbollah ally Hamas hours later.
In a statement, the Israeli military said its fighter jets struck targets in Lebanon that posed “an imminent threat” to Israelis.
“From the homes of Lebanese civilians in southern Lebanon, we can see that Hezbollah is preparing for a large-scale attack on Israel, endangering Lebanese civilians,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a video statement released at the same time.
He urged citizens to ‘stay out of the danger zone’.
In a message addressed to residents of southern Lebanon early Sunday morning, the Israeli military said: “We are monitoring Hezbollah’s preparations to carry out large-scale attacks on Israeli territory near your homes. You are in danger. We are attacking and eliminating Hezbollah threats.
“Anyone who is near areas where Hezbollah is active must leave immediately to protect themselves and their families,” the Telegram message said.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it had fired more than 320 Katyusha rockets into Israel as part of its “initial response” to .
The group “initiated an airstrike with a large number of drones” targeting Israeli territory, the statement said, while fighters also attacked “a number of enemy positions, barracks and Iron Dome platforms… with a large number of rockets.”
“It will take some time for the military operations to be completed,” the report said.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a 48-hour state of emergency starting at 6 a.m. Sunday.
His office said in a statement that he had briefed his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on the situation, adding that “the defense establishment is monitoring developments in Beirut.”
A US national security spokesman said President Joe Biden had directed US officials to “continually” communicate with Israel, while the Pentagon said it was “acting as a pillar of support” for Israel’s defense.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also spoke with Gallant.
“Secretary Austin reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to defending Israel against attacks by Iran and its regional partners and proxies,” a Pentagon spokesman said.
Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport announced Sunday morning that flights were delayed and diverted, while the country’s emergency services said it was raising the alert level.
