Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Hezbollah on Wednesday after the Lebanese group fired long-range shells at Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah said it had fired a ballistic missile at the headquarters of the Mossad spy agency, and millions of people in Tel Aviv were warned and taken to bomb shelters, but Israel eventually said it had intercepted the missile.
The exchange came a day after Israel killed Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Mohammed Qubaisi in an airstrike in Beirut. Qubaisi was the top commander of Hezbollah's missile and rocket forces.
The Israeli army has vowed to “do whatever is necessary” to drive Hezbollah away from its northern border, but senior military officials say they have no intention of escalating into all-out war.
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Thick smoke rose over the southern outskirts of Beirut after an Israeli attack this week on a Hezbollah position in the Lebanese capital that reportedly killed at least eight people and wounded dozens, with a source close to Hezbollah saying its top military commander was killed.
Qubaisi's death came during a two-day Israeli bombing campaign that Israel said targeted Hezbollah positions and arms depots and Lebanese authorities say has killed at least 560 people.
US to send more troops to Middle East as Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalates, Netanyahu warns Lebanon
Israel has carried out five targeted airstrikes in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with three of those targeted strikes taking place in the past five days.
On Friday, Israel Defense Forces officials announced new airstrikes in Beirut. Killed Ibrahim Akil He led Hezbollah's operations and served as commander of the Radwan Force.
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on the village of Khiam, seen from the town of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Marra)
Israel announces retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza
The United States announced on Monday that it would send additional troops to the Middle East, adding to the 40,000 troops already stationed in the region.
“In light of the rising tensions In the Middle East “Out of an abundance of caution, we will be sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel to augment U.S. forces already in the region, but for operational security reasons we are not going to comment or provide any specifics,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Monday at a news conference off cameras.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the remarks at a press conference in Jerusalem. (OHAD ZWIGENBERG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message to Lebanese people urging them to flee the danger, saying Hezbollah was using them as “human shields”.
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“Israel's war is not with you, it is with Hezbollah. For too long Hezbollah has used you as human shields. They have put rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garages,” Netanyahu said. “These rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, at our citizens. To protect our people from Hezbollah attacks, we must eliminate these weapons.”
Fox News' Daniel Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
