Hezbollah has announced the successful completion of the initial phase of its retaliatory strike against Israel following the assassination of commander Fuad Shukr in July.
Israel, on the other hand, claimed to have carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon as a preemptive measure after detecting Hezbollah’s plans to attack northern Israel.
The ongoing back-and-forth attacks between Hezbollah and Israel have intensified since Israel’s conflict with Gaza began, reaching a new level of escalation.
Exchange of Fire
Hezbollah’s retaliation was expected, especially after recent targeted killings of key figures in Hezbollah and Hamas, attributed to Israel.
Hezbollah reported launching over 320 Katyusha rockets at Israeli military installations, including the Meron base and locations in the Golan Heights.
Both sides have engaged in retaliatory strikes for months, with the latest attacks marking a significant escalation.
According to Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, most of Israel’s strikes targeted the border area up to 5km deep along the 120km border, turning it into a militarized zone.
Israel conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah launch sites in southern Lebanon to prevent the planned attack, while Lebanon reported casualties from Israeli drone attacks.
Smoke rises from the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces [Karamallah Daher/Reuters]
‘Special Circumstances’
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared a nationwide “special situation” for 48 hours in response to the escalating tensions.
Link from www.aljazeera.com