The Israeli military launched preemptive strikes in Lebanon on Sunday to mitigate the looming threat from Iran-backed terror outfit Hezbollah. In response to the attacks, Hezbollah has fired more than 150 projectiles from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. While claiming responsibility for the attack, Hezbollah stated that it initiated the strike in response to the killing of its military commander, Fuad Shukr.
The Lebanon-based group said it attacked an identified "special military target as well as Israel's Iron Dome platforms and other sites but that the full response would take some time," news agency Reuters reported.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has declared an emergency situation in the country for the next 48 hours.
After the IDF launched preemptive strikes, Gallant spoke with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin.
“We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel. We are closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens,” Gallant is quoted as saying by The Times of Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently leading a high-level meeting at an undisclosed location to address the escalating situation in the north, according to the local Israeli media.
The IDF stated that they detected that Hezbollah was preparing to launch "missiles and rockets" towards Israeli territory.
In response to the threats, Israel launched 40 air-to-surface missiles against the terror outfit in southern Lebanon.
Calling it a "self-defence act", IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated, “In a self-defence act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians.”
The residents in the areas of southern Lebanon, from where Hezbollah operates, were warned of the strikes and asked to "leave immediately."
"Fighter jets are now attacking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation that pose an immediate threat to the Israeli home front," the IDF stated in an official statement.
"Following these attacks and in accordance with the assessment of the situation held by the Home Front Command, life-saving instructions will be distributed in some areas of the country," it added.
According to reports from Israeli media, a woman has been wounded by shrapnel in the coastal city of Acre amid Hezbollah’s attack on northern Israel.
The woman is being shifted to Bnai Zion Hospital in Haifa for treatment.
The Israel Airports Authority also reported that it had temporarily suspended operations at Ben Gurion International Airport.
