Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets into northern Israel on Sunday in retaliation for a series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, bringing the two sides to the brink of all-out war.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, killing dozens, including one of the group's top commanders, Ibrahim Akil.
Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem said Sunday's rocket attack was just the beginning of an “endless battle” with Israel.
Israeli security forces conducted a search operation on Sunday at a house in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Bialik that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon. (AP Photo/Ariel Shalit)
At Akil's funeral, Qassem vowed that Hezbollah would continue its military operations against Israel, but also warned of unexpected attacks “from outside the frame”, pointing to rockets fired deeper into Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would take all necessary measures to restore security in the north and allow people to return to their homes.
“It is unacceptable for any country to indiscriminately attack its cities with rockets. It is unacceptable for us either,” he said.
Israeli Lt. Gen. Helgi Halevi told reporters that the military was ready to step up pressure on Hezbollah in the coming days, adding: “We have a lot of capabilities that we have not yet activated.”
Israel continues airstrikes on terrorist targets and rocket launch sites in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said it had struck around 400 militant positions, including rocket launchers, across southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours and thwarted a larger attack.
“Last night, hundreds of thousands of Israelis were woken by rocket sirens as Hezbollah fired more than 20 rockets into northern Israel, destroying communities,” said IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani. “This attack could have been much more destructive, but we were able to minimize it by pre-emptively striking rocket launchers across southern Lebanon.”
The latest exchange between Israeli forces and Hezbollah comes as Lebanon is still recovering from a series of explosions that struck pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 37 people and wounding around 3,000. The attacks have been widely blamed on Israel, which has neither claimed nor denied responsibility.
Israeli security and rescue teams work at the scene of a rocket attack fired from Lebanon in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Bialik on Sunday. (AP Photo/Gil Nechushtan)
Israeli forces have been exchanging gunfire with Hezbollah fighters on an almost daily basis since Oct. 8, a day after Hamas fighters stormed into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage. Hezbollah leaders say their attacks on Israel are a show of solidarity with their Gaza ally Hamas.
IDF says key Hamas operative killed in Gaza after devastating strike on Hezbollah
Small-scale fighting has killed dozens in Israel and hundreds in Lebanon and forced tens of thousands to flee on both sides of the border. But fighting has intensified in recent weeks as Israel has shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon. Some worry that the fight against Hezbollah will strain resources and further complicate prospects for an already elusive ceasefire.
Retired Army Brigadier General Anthony Tata told “Fox & Friends” that the conflict is only getting worse, and blamed the Biden administration for a lack of “moral clarity.”
Hezbollah members saluted near the coffin of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Akil during a funeral in the southern outskirts of Beirut on Sunday. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussain)
“It's crucial that Prime Minister Netanyahu keeps an eye on Hamas, which is the main battlefield, and eliminates Hamas,” Tata said. “The main battlefield remains Hamas. I think what they need to do is protect what they have, hold back Hezbollah until they can defeat Hamas, and then go north and destroy Hezbollah. You can't do two things equally well at the same time.”
Asked Sunday if he was worried about rising tensions in the Middle East, President Biden responded, “I am worried.”
“But we're going to do everything in our power to prevent the outbreak of a broader war. And we're still trying hard,” Biden added.
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Hamas is still holding about 100 people it captured in the October 7 attack in southern Israel, a third of whom are believed to be dead. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Sunday it had intercepted several aircraft launched from the direction of Iraq after it claimed Iranian-backed militant groups in Iraq had launched drone attacks against Israel.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
