Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes in southern Lebanon early Sunday in what it said was a pre-emptive strike against the Hezbollah militant group, threatening to trigger a broader region wide war that could torpedo efforts to forge a cease-fire in Gaza.
The army said Hezbollah was planning to launch a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles toward Israel. The Iranian-backed group had been promising to retaliate for Israel's assassination of a top commander late last month.
Air raid sirens were reported throughout northern Israel, and Israel's Ben-Gurion international airport began diverting incoming flights and delaying takeoffs.
Soon afterwards, Hezbollah announced it had launched an attack on Israel with a “large number of drones” as an initial response to the killing of Fouad Shukur, a top commander with the group, in a strike in Beirut's southern suburbs last month.
Hezbollah said the attack was targeting “a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later” as well as “targeting a number of enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome platforms.”
Israeli Airstrikes Kill 33 In Gaza, 11 From One Family
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 33 Palestinians in southern Gaza, including 11 members of a family, health workers said Saturday. The airstrikes hit their home in Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital, which received a total of 33 bodies from three strikes in and around the city that also hit tuk-tuks and passersby. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said it received three bodies from another strike.
Since October 7, Israel's offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry said Saturday that a total of 69 dead and 212 wounded had been brought to hospitals across Gaza over the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Israel's military announced the deaths of four more soldiers in combat in central Gaza on Friday. The war has caused widespread destruction and forced the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, with many cramming into shrinking "humanitarian zones."
Ceasefire Negotiations Drag On
The attack came as Egypt hosts a new round of talks aimed at ending Israel's war against Hamas, now in its 11th month. Hezbollah has said it will halt the fighting if there is a cease-fire.
The US has been pushing a proposal that aims at closing the gaps between Israel and Hamas as fears grow over a wider regional war after the recent killings of leaders of the militant Hamas and Hezbollah groups, both blamed on Israel.
Major differences remain between Israel and Hamas over Israel's insistence that it maintain forces in two strategic corridors in Gaza. Netanyahu wants Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt and the Netzarim east-west corridor across the territory to prevent smuggling and catch militants.
(With AP Inputs)
