Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to launch further “surprise attacks” against the Iran-backed terrorist group after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck a launch site in Lebanon just minutes before Hezbollah planned to fire thousands of rockets into central Israel.
“What happened today is not the end of the story. Hezbollah attempted to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones early this morning,” Netanyahu said at a government meeting in Tel Aviv on Sunday morning. “We have instructed the IDF to launch a powerful pre-emptive strike to eliminate the threat.”
“The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, all of which were intended to harm the people and army of Galilee,” he continued. “Furthermore, the IDF intercepted every drone that Hezbollah launched into the center of the country for strategic purposes. We are dealing a surprise blow to Hezbollah…Three weeks ago we took out Hezbollah’s chief of staff, and today we thwarted an attack plan.”
“Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran should understand that this is another step towards turning the situation around in the north and allowing residents to return safely to their homes,” Netanyahu added. “I repeat, this is not the end of the story.”
Israel strikes Lebanese targets to thwart Hezbollah attack preparations: IDF
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant meet at the Israeli Ministry of Defense on August 25, 2024, after the Israel Defense Forces’ preemptive strike against Hezbollah. (Israel Government Press Office)
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III met Sunday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss the latest developments, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
“The Secretary of Defense reiterated Israel’s right to self-defense and the United States’ firm commitment to supporting Israel’s defense against threats from Iran and its regional partners and proxies,” Ryder said. “As part of that support, the Secretary of Defense has ordered two aircraft carrier strike groups to remain in the region. The Secretary of Defense also expressed support for completing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release agreement.”
White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Sabet said in an earlier statement that President Biden is “closely monitoring the situation in Israel and Lebanon.”
“He was coordinating with his national security team throughout the night. At his direction, U.S. officials were in continuous contact with their Israeli counterparts. We continue to support Israel’s right to self-defense and will continue to work for stability in the region,” Thabet added.
Officials told Fox News that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had been updating Biden throughout the night.
After Hezbollah announced last night that the attacks were over, White House officials said they would continue to monitor the situation.
“At this point, there’s no indication that another round is coming,” one of the officials told Fox News.
Western intelligence officials told The New York Times that Israel’s preemptive strike targeted and destroyed a Lebanese missile launcher that had been programmed to fire at Tel Aviv at 5 a.m.
Intelligence collected from Israeli intelligence agencies, including the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate (MID), revealed that Hezbollah planned to use thousands of Lebanese rocket launchers to target strategic military locations in central Israel, including the Gushdan region, allowing the IDF to launch preemptive strikes against thousands of Lebanese rocket launchers, Israeli English-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
The newspaper said the IDF also intercepted a drone that had arrived from Lebanon targeting central Israel.
Around 100 Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, under the command of IDF intelligence, struck and destroyed “thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said earlier. “Most of these launchers were aimed at northern Israel, with some aimed at central Israel. More than 40 launch sites in Lebanon were hit during the attack.”
This photo taken from a location in northern Israel shows a Hezbollah unmanned aerial vehicle being intercepted by the Israeli Air Force over northern Israel on August 25, 2024. (Jallah Marri/AFP via Getty Images)
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck Hezbollah launch pads in several areas of southern Lebanon to eliminate the threat, and identified a terrorist cell operating in the Qiam region of southern Lebanon.
“The IAF swiftly struck the terrorists,” the IDF wrote in a statement.
At a recent press conference, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the Israeli military It identified “large-scale preparations by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to open fire on Israeli home fronts.”
“After a thorough investigation, the Israeli Air Force and Northern Command have begun aggressive, widespread strikes on Hezbollah targets to eliminate the threat to Israeli citizens,” Hagari said. “We are eliminating the threat inside Israel. Dozens of Israeli Air Force jets are currently striking various locations in southern Lebanon. We continue to eliminate the threat and are focusing our strikes on the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
The Israeli military said it attacked because Hezbollah was planning to launch a barrage of rockets and missiles towards Israel. Soon after, Hezbollah announced it had launched attacks on Israeli military positions in initial retaliation for the killing of one of its founding members, Fouad Shukr, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.
The fighting appeared to have ended by mid-morning, with both sides saying they were only targeting military targets, according to the Associated Press.
Israeli Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Hezbollah intended to attack targets in northern and central Israel, adding that initial assessments showed “little” damage to Israel but that the military remained on high alert.
On August 23, 2024, a rocket fired from southern Lebanon was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome aerial system over the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel. (Jallah Marri/AFP via Getty Images)
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that two people were killed and two were injured in the attack in southern Lebanon.
Separately, a fighter from the Hezbollah-allied Amal group was killed in a vehicle attack, Amal said.
Hezbollah operative killed in Israeli airstrike, terror group fires 100 rockets at Jewish state
Hezbollah said the attack involved more than 320 Katyusha rockets and a “large number” of drones aimed at facilities inside Israel. It said the operation targeted “high-quality Israeli targets that will be announced later,” as well as “enemy installations, barracks and Iron Dome (missile defence) platforms.”
Hezbollah said the attack would enable further strikes deeper into Israel, but later said in a statement that “today’s military operation is completed.” The terror group said it targeted 11 bases, barracks and military locations in northern Israel, including the Golan Heights, and denied Israeli claims that it had thwarted a more powerful attack. Hezbollah did not provide evidence for its claim.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was due to speak later on Sunday.
Lebanon’s caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam said after an emergency government meeting that officials were “a little more optimistic” about easing tensions.
On August 25, 2024, an Israeli Air Force fighter jet fired flares to intercept an enemy aircraft taking off from Lebanon into the border area with South Lebanon. (Jallah Marri/AFP via Getty Images)
“We feel more at ease now that both sides have confirmed that the planned operations have been completed and we know that the negotiations in Cairo are very serious,” he said.
Meanwhile, Egypt on Sunday hosted high-level talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the 10-month-old war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which diplomats hope will ease tensions in the region.
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown Jr., is due to visit the Middle East to take part in the negotiations.
“In the coming days, the Chairman will visit key allies and partners in the region – Egypt, Jordan and Israel – to demonstrate America’s long-term commitment to the Middle East and to deepen our understanding of the various dimensions of ongoing tensions,” Navy Capt. Jerrial Dorsey, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement Saturday.
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“The chairman will consult with other relevant parties and senior government officials in each country,” Dorsey said. “General Brown will continue to emphasize the importance of preventing further escalation of hostilities, protecting U.S. forces in the region, U.S. support for Israel’s self-defense, and coordinated efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians. As ceasefire negotiations continue, the chairman’s visit reflects the importance of reaching an agreement that returns the hostages, ends the violence, and allows the entire region to focus on next steps toward a safer and more stable Middle East.”
Fox News’ Bradford Betts, Liz Frieden, Yonat Freeling, Lucas Tomlinson and Kate Sprague and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
