Thank you for joining our live coverage of Israel's war in Gaza and Hezbollah's parallel fighting with Israel in support of its ally Hamas. We'll be back tomorrow with more news updates and analysis. Goodnight.
The Hamas delegation left Cairo this evening after meeting with mediators from Egypt and Qatar to discuss the results of the latest round of negotiations, Hamas said in a statement.
The Hamas delegation “demanded that the [Israeli] occupation abide by the agreement reached on July 2, which is based on Biden's speech and the UN Security Council resolution.” Hamas agreed on a deal on July 2, 2024, based on U.S. President Joe Biden's plan and the U.N. Security Council resolution to implement a cease-fire.
Netanyahu had then insisted that for a cease-fire to take place, Israeli troops need to remain present in Gaza, like in the West Bank. However, Hamas has repeatedly insisted that that is out of the question.
Hamas reiterated today “its readiness to implement the agreed terms in a way that protects the interests of its people and halts the ongoing aggression against them.”
Palestinian patients are fleeing al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip after the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of nearby areas, according to Al Jazeera's reporter in Gaza.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a unit of the Israeli Defense Ministry (IDM) in charge of aid to Gaza, says polio vaccines for 1.26 million people have been delivered to the besieged Strip via the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, according to a statement by the IDM.
Neither Palestinian nor UN authorities have commented on the matter.
⚡ Hamas rejects Israel's new conditions for a cease-fire in Gaza, Reuters reports, citing a statement given by Hamas official Osama Hamdan to the group's official television station al-Aqsa TV earlier today.
Hamdan allegedly accused the U.S. of using optimism over a cease-fire deal for election purposes, and called talk of an imminent deal false. The official added that Hamas continues to stick to the July 2 cease-fire proposal, and rejects Israel's new conditions.
Key points from Hassan Nasrallah's speech, part two:
• "One of the reasons behind the need for time [to plan the retaliaion] was to see whether the 'Axis of Resistance' would retaliate at the same time or separately. In the end, we decided that the response would be individual."
Here, the Hezbollah leader justifies the delay in his party's response (and the impact on his credibility) by claiming that it was linked to coordination within the Axis. He also pointed out that the delay was linked to the American and Israeli mobilization, which may have thwarted the response, but also to the "punishment" inflicted on the Israelis for waiting three weeks for the party's response and, above all, to the negotiations on Gaza. Iran still seems to want to give diplomacy a chance, and is delaying its response to the assassination of Ismail Hanieh, Hamas' political leader, in an ultra-secure zone in Tehran.
• "This attack may help the position of Palestinians and Arabs in the negotiations."
While Nasrallah had said from the outset of his speech that the negotiations in Cairo for a cease-fire in Gaza were a "waste of time," near the end of his speech, he stated that he hoped his party's military response would help Hamas secure a better deal, at a time when the American proposal is very much in Tel Aviv's favor. To maximize the pressure, he also reminded the Israelis that they had to wait for Iran and the Houthis to respond to the Hodeida strike.
Key points from Hassan Nasrallah's speech, part one:
• "The response [to the assassination of Fouad Shukur in the southern suburbs of Beirut] took place in two stages: the first was the firing of Katyusha missiles on positions in the north to distract the Iron Dome and clear the way for the drones, which, in the second stage, hit a strategic target."
Here, Hezbollah's Secretary General appears to confirm that the response to the assassination of its military leader is over. While this morning the party's media office announced the "first phase" of the response, it remains unclear what exactly it entails and whether it will extend over several days.
• "The main target of today's operation was the Glilot Base, home to Spy Unit 8200. The targeted base is located 110 km from the Lebanese border and 1,500 meters from Tel Aviv. It's a retaliation in depth."
Nasrallah states here that he has selected a target that corresponds to a list of criteria for the retaliation previously defined by the party. The target is military, located in the suburbs of Tel Aviv and linked to the assassination of Shukur.
• "Israel is lying when it says that the retaliation was thwarted by its preemptive strike."
Despite Tel Aviv's (and the Israeli media's) denial that the Israeli city's suburbs were the target of an attack, Nasrallah insists: the attack did indeed take place, and the Israelis are trying to cover it up. He claims that the Israeli offensive carried out 30 minutes before Hezbollah launched its retaliation was not a premptive attack, as claimed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, positing instead that the Israeli army only mobilized once it had noticed unusual movements in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addressed the Israeli military operations room regarding the Hezbollah attack, according to Haaretz.
"The enemy had planned to launch hundreds of rockets at communities in the north, but the preventive operation succeeded in preventing the launch of over 50%, or even two-thirds, of them. In other words, by targeting thousands of sites, we prevented the launch of hundreds of rockets. Those that were fired were intercepted in the air, or their impact on vital areas was thwarted," Gallant said.
He added that the precise action taken against the drones ensured that "no drone hit inside Israeli territory. We destabilized Hezbollah, and their operation failed... Thousands of rockets were destroyed, precision missiles were also hit in several locations, dozens of drones were shot down, and overall, the result is very positive."
Top U.S. military official General C.Q. Brown arrived on Sunday in Israel, hours after major Hezbollah attack on northern Israel.
Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is expected to hold meetings with senior Israeli military officials.
Following a request to the High Court by the State Comptroller to reopen a probe into the IDF's conduct on Oct. 7, the army and Shin Bet said it could "harm national security."
In their response to the High Court, the IDF and Shin Bet said that conducting a probe in the manner proposed by the State Comptroller in the midst of a severe war on several fronts could cause real and tangible harm to the functioning of the two security bodies.
According to both, the State Comptroller's demand does not take into account the unprecedented security threats facing the state, and the burden on the security forces.
The IDF and Shin Bet also rejected the comptroller's request to receive the investigation materials that the IDF is conducting on its own. According to them, the IDF's investigation of the events of Oct. 7 is still ongoing and has not yet been completed: "This is a complex process of conducting numerous investigations that correspond and complement each other. It must be allowed to proceed in an orderly manner until its completion," they wrote.
British Airways announced on Sunday the suspension of all flights between London and Tel Aviv until Wednesday due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
"We have made the operational decision to suspend our flights to and from Tel Aviv until Wednesday, August 28 inclusive," said a company spokesperson. "Safety is always our top priority," he added.
The Ministry of Health reported that the Israeli army raid on Majdel Zoun resulted in one person being injured.
The individual required surgery and hospitalization, according to the ministry.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged on Sunday to avoid "at all costs" further escalation in the Middle East, following Hezbollah's attack on Israel and Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, according to AFP.
"A new escalation in the Middle East must be avoided at all costs," Lammy wrote on X. He stated that he had reiterated to the Israeli government "the UK's support for Israel's security, the importance of restraint, the need for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, and the release of all hostages."
Nasrallah concluded his speech with a smile: "The day may come when we invade you with a loud music band."
Nasrallah: "We will monitor what happened and how the enemy has kept it under wraps. If we are satisfied with these results, we will consider our response complete. If they are not sufficient, we reserve the right to retaliate at another time."
Nasrallah: "Today's response is the first large-scale operation carried out by the resistance in the absence of a great leader like Fouad Shukur."
Shukur was notably responsible for the party's precision-guided missile program.
Nasrallah: "We managed to disrupt the Israeli entity with Katyusha rockets; imagine what would have happened if we had used other types of missiles."
The United States assisted the Israeli military in monitoring and tracking Hezbollah's attacks on Israel early Sunday but did not intervene directly, a senior U.S. defense official stated, as reported by AFP.
"The U.S. was not involved in Israel's preventive strikes last night. We provided intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to track the incoming attacks from Hezbollah," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. They also added that U.S. assistance to address these attacks "was not necessary."
Nasrallah: The enemy (Israel) began its raids half an hour before the resistance operation, after detecting the movement of our fighters, not based on intelligence. This was not a "preventive" operation but an "attack."
We are dealing with an "Israeli narrative" filled with lies because their intelligence services failed. In contrast, our operation was carried out with precision and rigor, despite the challenging circumstances.
According to AFP, the Israeli army assures that its Glilot base targeted by Hezbollah was "not hit."
Nasrallah: The Israeli claims that they destroyed ballistic missiles are lies. We did not intend to use such munitions in this operation, but we may use them in the future. The allegations that Hezbollah intended to launch 6,000 rockets and drones are also false.
Nasrallah: We had no intention of targeting Ben Gurion Airport.
Nasrallah: According to our information, a number of drones reached their intended targets, but the enemy remains silent about this, as usual.
Nasrallah: The goal was to fire enough rockets at various targets to activate the Iron Dome for a few minutes, allowing the drones to cross the border. The rocket launchers had been prepared since last night, and despite the Israeli raids, our drones were launched and crossed the border.
Nasrallah: We fired over 300 Katyusha rockets during this morning's strikes, launched at 5:15 a.m. We also launched drones from Bekaa for the first time.
Nasrallah: The Glilot base "conducts Israeli assassination operations."
The Unit 8200 stationed at this base specializes in cyber defense and surveillance, and is often compared to the American NSA (National Security Agency).
Nasrallah: "In addition to Glilot, we chose a technical target: an airbase and missile defense site located 75 kilometers from Lebanon and 40 kilometers from Tel Aviv."
"Our plan was to launch 300 Katyusha rockets and distribute them across targeted military sites," the Hezbollah leader continues.
Nasrallah: "The main target of today's operation was the Glilot base, where Unit 8200 is located. The targeted base is 110 kilometers from the Lebanese border and 1,500 meters from Tel Aviv. This is a deep response."
Glilot is a neighborhood in the northern part of Tel Aviv.
Nasrallah: "We set criteria for our response, including ensuring that the target is not civilian. Even though we had the right to target civilians because civilians were killed in the southern suburbs."
Hassan Nasrallah also justified the delay by stating the need to see if the Resistance axis would respond simultaneously or separately.
"We also waited to give negotiations a chance. Today, it is clear that Netanyahu is setting new conditions. There is no longer any reason to wait," he adds. He continues: "We decided to respond individually for reasons that will become apparent over time. It is clear that the negotiations and their outcome are still uncertain."
Nasrallah: The delay of our expanded military operation, "the fortieth operation," is due to American and Israeli mobilization. This delay has been a punishment in itself for the enemy.
Nasrallah praised the efforts of the resistance, both in southern Lebanon, which has experienced "intense bombardments and raids since the early hours of the day," and in Gaza, Iraq and Yemen.
Nasrallah: "As you know, the Israeli enemy has launched an aggression against the southern suburbs of Beirut, crossing all red lines (...), killing civilians, including women and children, and the military leader Fouad Shukur (...). The resistance then affirmed its determination to retaliate."
Nasrallah praised the efforts of the resistance, both in southern Lebanon, which has experienced "intense bombardments and raids since the early hours of the day," and in Gaza, Iraq and Yemen.
Nasrallah: "As you know, the Israeli enemy has launched an aggression against the southern suburbs of Beirut, crossing all red lines (...), killing civilians, including women and children, and the military leader Fouad Shukur (...). The resistance then affirmed its determination to retaliate."
After noting that this Sunday also marks the fortieth day since the commemorations of Ashura, which mark the death of Imam Hussein, Hassan Nasrallah paid tribute to the memory of former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, whose death was announced just minutes before the start of his speech.
After the "first phase" of Hezbollah's response, in which the group claimed to have targeted 11 Israeli sites this morning with drones and Katyusha rockets, the party leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has begun his speech, which was announced earlier today.
Jordan on Sunday warned that heightened escalation between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah could lead to a "regional war" that would threaten stability, Reuters reported.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Sufain Qudah said that Israel's relentless "aggression" in Gaza and the failure to reach a cease-fire was exposing the region to the dangers of an expansion of the conflict, Jordanian state media reported.
The Israeli army announced the death of an Israeli Navy soldier during a Hezbollah attack in northern Israel, reports Haaretz.
"Staff Sergeant David Moshe Ben Shitrit, 21, from Geva Binyamin, was killed on Sunday during the Hezbollah attack in northern Israel," the army said. The Israeli army added that it is investigating the cause of death: "whether he was hit by an interceptor missile that identified the ship he was on as a target, or by shrapnel from a drone."
“What the Resistance is doing today is a strategic gain for Lebanon and all its components, a religious and national duty par excellence,” declared Jaafarite Mufti Ahmad Kabalan, a Shiite cleric close to Hezbollah.
Speaking during the religious commemoration of the "forty days of Hussein," he paid a heartfelt tribute to the operation carried out by Hezbollah in Israel a few hours earlier, which the party considers the first response to the assassination of its military leader, Fouad Shukur. Sheikh Kabalan called for “the unity of the mosque and the church, for a true national partnership (…) that will resolve all unresolved issues.”
A Hezbollah official said on Sunday that the group's rocket and drone attack against Israel on Sunday in retaliation for a top commander's killing last month had been delayed by "political considerations," chiefly among them the ongoing talks on a cease-fire and hostage release deal for the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
The official, in written comments shared with media outlets, said the group had "worked" to make sure its response to the killing of Fuad Shukur on July 30 would not trigger a full-scale war.
Hezbollah claimed that at 3 p.m., it targeted a "technical system" at the Manara site (facing the Lebanese village of Houla in the Marjayoun district) with a dive attack helicopter, which directly hit and destroyed it.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized "the need to maintain Lebanon's stability" following the Hezbollah attack on Israel reported on Sunday, according to a statement from his office cited by AFP.
During a meeting with General Charles Brown, U.S. Chief of Staff, Sisi "warned against the dangers of opening a new front in Lebanon and highlighted the need to preserve Lebanon's stability and sovereignty."
General Brown's visit to Egypt coincides with a new round of cease-fire discussions in Cairo that began on Thursday. The talks involve Israeli intelligence chiefs, CIA Director William Burns, and the heads of Egyptian and Qatari intelligence.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu told AFP that the decision to send a delegation to Cairo to continue negotiations would be made later in the day.
"Three weeks ago, we eliminated his (Hezbollah's) commander-in-chief, and today we thwarted his attack plan," Netanyahu emphasized at the start of the Cabinet meeting, according to his office.
⚡ Israel has not yet "had its last word" with its strikes on Lebanon, warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to comments reported by AFP.
Hezbollah announced the death of two of its fighters, Hamza Mohammad Zaghlout, born in 1992 and from Haris, and Khodr Moussa Soueid, born in 1987 and from the same village.
According to our correspondent in Southern Lebanon, the two men were killed in the Israeli strike that targeted the village of Tiri earlier in the day.
Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas hailed strikes by Lebanon's Hezbollah against Israel, calling it a "strong and focused response."
"We emphasize that this strong and focused response, which struck deep inside the Zionist entity, is a slap in the face" for the Israeli government, Hamas said in a statement after Hezbollah said it launched a large-scale operation using rockets and drones.
At least 40,405 Palestinians have been killed and 93,468 others injured in Israel's war on Gaza since Oct. 7, said the Gaza Health Ministry.
Hezbollah has released its second video of the day, showing the various Israeli military bases it claims to have targeted this morning. These bases are depicted in satellite images, accompanied by dramatic music. The video details which eleven bases and military sites are being targeted.
This morning, Hezbollah launched what it termed the "first retaliation" for the assassination of Fouad Shukur, one of the party's leaders, by Israel about forty days ago in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The party has announced that the operation is complete. Its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, is expected to speak at 6 p.m.
According to Haaretz, the head of the Shin Bet, Ronan Bar, and the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, landed in Egypt ahead of the summit in Cairo, which will be attended by the CIA chief and the Qatari prime minister.
The Israeli army stated that it has lifted security restrictions in most areas of Israel a few hours after the Hezbollah attack.
Following an assessment of the situation, it was decided that starting at 12:30 p.m., changes would be made to the defensive directives of the Home Front Command, according to the Israeli media Ynet News.
Restrictions will be lifted in the Upper Galilee, certain communities in southern Golan, Lower Galilee, Central Galilee, Beit She'an Valley, the valleys, Haifa Bay, Carmel, Wadi Ara, Menashe, Sharon, and Dan.
In some areas along the confrontation line, in northern Golan, and in certain communities in southern Golan, partial activity will be permitted in accordance with defensive directives. The guidelines published on the official channels of the Home Front Command should continue to be followed.
Egypt warned against the dangers of opening a new war front in Lebanon, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday, and called for stability in the country as Hezbollah and Israel clashed again.
Hezbollah has announced that its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, will give a televised speech today at 6 p.m. We explain here how to watch the speech live and offer some reading recommendations ahead of the address.
Houthi rebels have congratulated Hezbollah for its attack on Israel, and again threatened a response to the Israeli strikes conducted last month against the Yemeni port of Hodeida, according to AFP.
"We congratulate Hezbollah and its Secretary-General for the great and courageous attack carried out by the resistance this morning against the Israeli enemy," they said in a statement, adding that a response to the Israeli strikes on July 20 against the port of Hodeida, which they control, "is certainly forthcoming."
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported at least three deaths today from Israeli strikes in the south of the country.
Two people were killed in "an Israeli enemy raid" on the village of Tiri and a third in an "Israeli drone attack on a car in the village of Khiam," the ministry said. The Amal movement, an ally of Hezbollah, announced the death of one of its members in Israeli fire, specifying that he was from Khiam.
The ministry also reported two injuries, including one Syrian, in "a series of Israeli raids" on the south.
In light of the serious developments this morning between Hezbollah and Israel along the Blue Line, a joint statement was issued by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the office of the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, calling on "all parties to cease fire and prevent any escalation."
"A cessation of hostilities, followed by the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, is the only way for a sustainable progression of the situation. We continue our efforts to urge the parties to reduce tensions," the statement continued.
Several dozen apartments were damaged this morning in Acre, about 15 kilometers from the Blue Line along the Israeli coast, according to reports collected by the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The damage also affected a daycare center. Acre's mayor, Amichai Ben-Shelush, cited by the Israeli media, said that an entire neighborhood of the city was "severely damaged." "The residents are very anxious," he added.
According to the media, it was not immediately clear whether Acre was hit by Hezbollah projectiles or an interceptor missile from the air defense system.
Finally, Yedioth reports that several fires broke out in northern Israel following the strikes.
Likud ministers and MPs have been instructed not to grant interviews to the media following Israel's preventive strike against Hezbollah, reports Haaretz.
Party sources told the Israeli media that they were not informed of the reason behind this directive, but some believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to avoid calls for increased attacks on Lebanon.
Tali Gottlieb, a Likud member, told Haaretz that she did not accept the "delusional directives of this kind."
"Another delusional directive banning interviews for Likud. Instead of giving interviews and explanations to demand victory and strengthen the people of Israel, we are making way in the studios for defeatist and weakening propaganda," she wrote on X.
"It is time to continue attacking Hezbollah mercilessly," she added.
Around 31 villages and their surrounding areas were targeted by raids conducted by Israeli fighter jets or drones from dawn until 10:30 a.m., a security source told our correspondent.
Following the escalation in the north, Air France, the U.A.E.'s Etihad Airways and Greece's Aegean Airlines announced that flights to and from Tel Aviv on Sunday were canceled, as reported by Haaretz.
The airlines joined 16 others that have announced the discontinuation of flights to and from Israel, including some until Monday and others until further notice.
The operations room of the Disaster Management Unit at the Federation of Municipalities of Sour issued a statement asking internally displaced persons in southern Lebanon to contact them at 81-134460.
"Due to recent developments, displaced persons in southern Lebanon who need housing or other assistance can reach us on this hotline," the statement reads, as reported by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Israeli fighter jets conducted a raid targeting the Dabake neighborhood, northeast of Mais al-Jabal, and the village of Markaba (Marjayoun), according to residents.
Israeli fighter jets conducted a raid on Naqoura (Sour district), according to residents speaking to our correspondent.
Five new strikes by the Israeli air force targeted the villages of Yater and Zibqine (Bint Jbeil) at around 10:15 a.m., according to residents.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah will hold a televised speech today at 6 p.m. Beirut time, the party announced in a statement.
According to the Israeli army, whose statements were reported in the Israeli media, the initial objective of Hezbollah's response was to strike the bases of the Mossad and Israeli military intelligence in Tel Aviv and in central Israel.
In a new report from the Ministry of Health, two people were injured in southern Lebanon following this morning's Israeli strikes: A Lebanese man who was lightly injured and was treated in the emergency room, and a Syrian who remains hospitalized. L'Orient Today had previously reported that a Syrian worker was injured in a raid on the outskirts of Kharayeb.
According to Haaretz, Tel Aviv opened 240 air raid shelters in addition to underground parking lots that could be converted into emergency shelters if the city were targeted by airstrikes. The Israeli army changed its security recommendations, making civilian activities conditional on the ability to quickly reach one of these shelters.
Jordanian airline Royal Jordanian Airlines announced that it is suspending flights to Beirut "due to the current situation," the state news agency reported, as reported by Reuters.
Amal Wehbe, a resident of the Jabal Rihan area (Jezzine), described "a night of horror, we are still shaking."
"The sounds of explosions were frightening and continuous, the whole house was shaking, the Israeli air force was flying over our areas at a very low altitude as if it were going to hit the roofs of our buildings," Wehbe recounted.
Wehbe also spoke of the panic of the children "whose screams were mixed with the explosions."
"We have never seen this before, I am panicked and do not know what to do," she said.
The Amal Movement announced the death of one of its members and fighters, Ayman Kamel Idriss, originally from the village of Khiam (Marjayoun) and born in 1989, "as part of his fight for the defense of Lebanon and South Lebanon." As usual, the statement does not give any information on the place or time of the assassination, but it comes just after the information on the raid of an Israeli drone on a car in Khiam, which killed a member of the movement, according to a security source.
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called a meeting of the emergency ministerial committee at 10:30 a.m. at his home in Beirut "following the developments of the last few hours," according to a brief statement from the Grand Serail. The meeting is "open to all ministers who can attend."
This emergency committee is headed by caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, and composed of the Ministers of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamieh, Health, Firass Abiad, Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, Information, Ziad Makari, and Social Affairs, Hector Hajjar.
In these photos, taken from northern Israel on Aug. 25, 2024, the destruction of a Hezbollah drone by the Israeli air force. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and Israeli Army Radio, the Israeli delegation sent to the Cairo talks, led by Mossad chief David Barnea, will leave for Egypt today, as originally planned. Israeli sources state that the impact of Hezbollah's response on the negotiations is not yet clear.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "do everything" to ensure the safety and return home of residents of northern Israel, who have been displaced for more than ten months after the army claimed to have struck forcefully at Hezbollah's military capabilities.
"We are determined to do everything to protect our country, bring the people of the north home safely and continue to apply a simple rule: whoever harms us, we harm him," Netanyahu said at the start of a meeting of Israel's security cabinet.
The Health Ministry announced that the strike carried out by an Israeli drone against a car in Khiam (Marjayoun) killed one person.
In a new statement, Hezbollah reiterated the "success" of its operation, saying that all the planned drones were launched "at the scheduled time and from the scheduled launch pads," and that they were able to cross the border to the identified targets. Refuting Israeli "allegations" of a "preemptive" attack that would have "disrupted" the party's operations, the latter announced that details of the strikes would be given by Hassan Nasrallah later today. The time of the speech was not immediately announced.
An Israeli drone struck a car in Khiam, killing one person, according to medical sources cited by L'Orient Today's correspondent. The victim is believed to be a member of the Amal Movement, according to a security source. The party chaired by the head of parliament, Nabih Berri, has lost more than twenty of its fighters in Israeli strikes since the start of the clashes.
The Israeli military announced that "about a hundred" of its planes had "targeted and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers" during strikes to foil a large-scale attack by Hezbollah.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that he had extended the state of emergency to the entire country shortly after the army announced strikes in Lebanon. Gallant issued a decree in which he wrote that he was "convinced that there is a high probability that an attack will be carried out against the civilian population also in the other areas of the country to which the declaration of a 'special situation' on the internal front does not apply."
"I hereby declare a 'special situation' ... in the other areas of the country," the text added.
The Pentagon said the United States is "ready to support" Israel's defense as the Israeli military carries out strikes in Lebanon to counter "a large-scale attack" launched by Hezbollah. "We continue to monitor the situation closely and have been very clear that the United States stands ready to support Israel's defense," a Pentagon spokesperson said in a statement.
Over the past hour minutes, the Israeli air force has carried out new strikes on southern Lebanon:
- Against the villages of Siddiqin and Yater (Bint Jbeil).
- On Adsheet al-Qassir (Marjayoun), according to residents.
- Three new strikes by the Israeli army against the village of Zebqine (Sour).
A Syrian worker was injured in the Israeli raid on the outskirts of Kharayeb (Zahrani), south of Saida, according to a local source quoted by L'Orient Today's correspondent.
Following Hezbollah strikes, an Israeli civilian was reportedly injured by shrapnel near Acre in northern Israel, according to Haaretz. Official Israeli sources have not yet released any additional casualty figures.
According to L'Orient Today's correspondent in North Lebanon, a drone fell this morning in an olive grove between the villages of Ain Tanta and Dousseh, in Akkar. The Lebanese army arrived on the scene and dispatched a military expert who inspected the object and decide whether to transport it or dynamite it. Observers had noted an intensive overflight of Israeli drones over Akkar during the night. However, the origin of the drone has not yet been confirmed.
In the early hours of the day, all activity was suspended at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main airport. The suspension took place from 5 a.m. following the Hezbollah attack. Israeli authorities announced that normal activities would resume at 7 a.m.
The strikes carried out since yesterday evening by the Israeli army:
- At around 7:00 p.m., the villages of Naqoura, Aita al-Shaab and Alma al-Shaab were targeted by Israeli artillery, as well as Kfar Kila (Sour, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun districts); the Israeli air force hit a house in Aita al-Shaab.
- At around 7:30 p.m., the Israeli air force bombed a three-story house in Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), in which a fire broke out.
- At 8 p.m., the villages of Tayr Harfa and Shamaa (Sour) were bombed.
- Around 11 p.m., launch of an Israeli surface-to-surface missile against a house in Kfar Kila.
Since the early hours of the night, and while Israel said it had carried out "preventive" strikes during the night to avoid an attack, after having spotted Hezbollah preparations:
- At around 7:30 a.m., Israeli artillery targeted Alma al-Shaab, Jibbain, Naqoura, Zebqine, Wadi Slouqi, Kfar Hammam, Rashaya al-Foukhar and Khiam, all along the Blue Line.
- After 6 a.m., the Israeli air force bombed Hay al-Berkeh in the village of Bani Hayan, and a strike targeted the village of Tallousseh (Marjayoun). Ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
- A bombing targeted the surroundings of Rashaf, Mansouri and Majdal Zoun (Sour)
In a statement this morning, Hezbollah announced that it had launched a large-scale drone and rocket attack against Israel in response to the death of Fouad Shukur.
These strikes are "the first phase" of the response, which "ended successfully," according to the party. According to the statement, the attack was "targeting Israeli barracks and positions, in order to facilitate the passage of drones towards a target in depth." Hezbollah says it fired "more than 320 Katyusha rockets" on eleven different positions.
The eleven targeted sites were: The Meron barracks (which is the air traffic control headquarters in the north and has been targeted numerous times since October); a position in Neve Ziv; the Ga'aton base; a position in Za'oura; the Sahal base; the Kilaa barracks; four barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan (Kilaa, Yoav, Nafah and Yarden), the Ain Zetim base and the Ramot Naftali base.
The party assures that more details on this operation will be provided in subsequent press releases.
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