Israeli planes launched airstrikes in Lebanon after its military said Hezbollah was preparing to fire rockets and missiles toward Israel.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “In an act of self-defense to eliminate these threats, (the Israeli military) is attacking terrorist targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah planned to launch its attacks against Israeli civilians.
Hagari warned that Hezbollah “will soon fire rockets, and possibly missiles and” drones at Israel.
Sirens began sounding in northern Israel shortly after the warning, and were later joined by other sirens across the north.
Lebanese media reported attacks in the south of the country without immediately providing further details. Images posted on social media showed what appeared to be attacks in southern Lebanon.
Hagari warned that Hezbollah “will soon launch rockets, and possibly missiles and” drones against Israel
Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv began diverting incoming flights and delaying others due to take off on Sunday following Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.
Israeli media cited the Israel Airports Authority as the source of the news. Flight tracking data showed that at least two El Al flights headed south and diverted after the announcement.
In his statement, Hagari added: “We can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch a comprehensive attack on Israel, putting Lebanese civilians at risk.
“We warn civilians in areas where Hezbollah operates to immediately remove themselves from danger for their own safety,” Hagari did not provide further details on the intelligence he cited.
While the IDF’s Page X added: “Hezbollah just launched more than 150 projectiles from Lebanon into Israeli territory. We attack terrorist infrastructure, they attack civilians.”
Lebanese media reported attacks in the south of the country without immediately providing further details.
Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system over the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel on August 23, 2024.
There have been fears in recent weeks that the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip could escalate into a regional conflict after an Israeli strike killed a senior Hezbollah commander and an alleged Israeli assassination operation in Iran killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh, who had escaped the horrors of the war in Gaza while residing in Qatar, traveled to Iran to attend the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this month.
But Israel appeared to seize the opportunity to target Haniyeh, attacking his residence in Tehran in the early hours of the morning and killing the Hamas leader along with a security guard.