Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets toward northern Israel on Sunday in response to a series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, bringing the two sides closer to the brink of a full-scale war.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon have killed dozens of people, including one of the group's top commanders, Ibrahim Akil.
Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Kassem said Sunday's rocket attack was just the beginning of what is now an “open battle” with Israel.
Israeli security forces work at a house hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
At Akil's funeral, Kassem vowed that Hezbollah would continue its military operations against Israel, but also warned of unexpected attacks “from outside the box,” pointing to rockets fired deep inside 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.
“No country can accept the uncontrolled bombing of its cities. We cannot accept it either,” he said.
Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, told reporters the military is prepared to increase pressure on Hezbollah in the coming days, adding: “We have many capabilities that we have not yet activated.”
ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE AGAINST TERRORIST TARGETS AND ROCKET LAUNCHERS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON
The Israeli military said it had attacked some 400 militant sites, including rocket launchers, in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours, thwarting an even bigger attack.
“Last night, hundreds of thousands of Israelis woke up to rocket warning sirens as Hezbollah launched more than 20 rockets toward northern Israel, leaving communities in ruins,” said IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani. “This attack could have caused much more damage, but we were able to minimize their attack with a preemptive strike against the rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.”
The latest clash between Israeli forces and Hezbollah comes as Lebanon is still reeling from a wave of explosions that targeted pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members on Tuesday and Wednesday. The blasts killed at least 37 people and injured around 3,000. The attacks were largely blamed on Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
Israeli security and rescue forces work at the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Bialik, northern Israel, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Gil Nechushtan)
Israeli forces have been exchanging fire with Hezbollah fighters almost daily since Oct. 8, a day after Hamas militants stormed into Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. Hezbollah's leadership has said its attacks on Israel are in solidarity with its ally Hamas in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces say a senior Hamas operative has been killed in Gaza following a devastating attack on Hezbollah
Low-level fighting has killed dozens of people in Israel, hundreds in Lebanon and displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. But fighting has intensified in recent weeks, with Israel shifting its attention from Gaza to Lebanon. Some have expressed concern that fighting Hezbollah will strain resources and complicate prospects for a ceasefire agreement, which is already elusive.
Retired Army Gen. Anthony Tata told “Fox & Friends” that the conflict will only grow and chided the Biden administration for what he called a lack of “moral clarity.”
Hezbollah members salute near the coffin of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Akil during the funeral procession in the southern suburb of Beirut on Sunday. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
“It's critical that Netanyahu keeps his eye on the main fight, which is Hamas, and eliminates Hamas,” Tata said. “The main effort remains Hamas. And I think what they need to do is hold on to what they have and contain Hezbollah until they finish off Hamas, and then they can move north and… destroy Hezbollah. You can't do two things at once with equal effectiveness.”
Asked Sunday if he was concerned about rising tensions in the Middle East, President Biden said, “Yes, I am.”
“But we're going to do everything we can to prevent a broader war from breaking out. And we're continuing to push hard,” Biden added.
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Hamas is holding about 100 of its Oct. 7 raiders in southern Israel prisoner, of whom a third are believed dead. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said Sunday it intercepted multiple aerial devices fired from Iraq after Iranian-backed militant groups claimed to have launched a drone attack on Israel.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
