Israel launched pre-emptive airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Sunday, following intelligence reports of an imminent attack by the terror group. Israel’s military deployed 100 jets and struck Hezbollah rocket launchers in one of the biggest clashes of the past 10 months.
As for Hezbollah, it initiated what it called “phase one” of its attack against Israel, firing hundreds of Katyusha rockets and flying drones across the border. Targets included the headquarters of Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, and a Tel Aviv-area base of the Israeli military’s cyber intelligence Unit 8200.
The aftermath left three people dead in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The Israel Defense Forces knocked out two-thirds of the rockets Hezbollah planned to deploy and reported minimal damage, with one sailor killed by accident as an Israeli rocket interceptor exploded.
While both Israel and Hezbollah claim not to want war, they both say they are ready for it, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that the attack on Lebanon is “not the end of the story.” Hamas issued a statement hailing “the exceptional and great response inflicted” by Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, peace talks continue in Cairo. Hamas has sent a delegation to receive updates, but it still refuses to engage directly in the negotiations – it has boycotted them for the past 10 days – leaving little hope for a deal.
