Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed extra “stunning blows” towards Iran-backed terrorist teams after the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) reportedly struck launch websites in Lebanon simply minutes earlier than Hezbollah was planning to fireside hundreds of rockets into central Israel.
“What occurred as we speak will not be the tip of the story. Hezbollah tried to assault the State of Israel with rockets and drones early within the morning,” Netanyahu mentioned at a authorities assembly in Tel Aviv Sunday morning. “We instructed the IDF to hold out a robust pre-emptive strike to take away the menace.”
“The IDF destroyed hundreds of short-range rockets, and so they had been all meant to hurt our residents and our forces in Galilee,” he continued. “As well as, the IDF intercepted all of the UAVs that Hezbollah launched for a strategic goal within the middle of the nation. We’re hitting Hezbollah with stunning blows…. Three weeks in the past, we eradicated his chief of employees, and as we speak, we foiled his assault plan.”
“Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran ought to know that that is one other step on the best way to vary the scenario within the north and return our residents safely to their properties,” Netanyahu added. “And I repeat – this isn’t the tip of the story.”
ISRAEL ATTACKS TARGETS IN LEBANON TO THWART HEZBOLLAH’S PREPARED STRIKES: IDF
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Protection Minister Yoav Gallant overseeing meet at Israel’s Ministry of Protection following the IDF’s preemptive strikes towards Hezbollah, Aug. 25, 2024. (Israel Authorities Press Workplace)
Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Protection Yoav Gallant Sunday to debate the newest developments, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder mentioned in an announcement.
“The Secretary reiterated Israel’s proper to defend itself and the USA’ ironclad resolve to assist Israel’s protection towards threats from Iran and its regional companions and proxies,” Ryder mentioned. “As a part of that assist, the Secretary has ordered the presence of two Service Strike Teams to stay within the area. The Secretary additionally expressed assist for finishing negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage-release deal.”
In an earlier assertion, White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesman Sean Savett mentioned President Biden “is carefully monitoring occasions in Israel and Lebanon.”
“He has been engaged along with his nationwide safety crew all through the night. At his course, senior U.S. officers have been speaking constantly with their Israeli counterparts. We are going to preserve supporting Israel’s proper to defend itself, and we’ll preserve working for regional stability,” Savett added.
It was nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan main these updates to Biden all through the night time, officers inform Fox Information.
After Hezbollah introduced final night time that their assault was over, White Home officers mentioned they may preserve monitoring the scenario.
“There are not any indications proper now that one other spherical is coming,” one official advised Fox Information.
A Western intelligence official advised the New York Occasions that Israel’s preemptive assault focused and destroyed missile launchers in Lebanon that had been programmed to fireside at 5 a.m. towards Tel Aviv.
The IDF had been capable of perform a preemptive assault on hundreds of rocket launchers in Lebanon after data gathered from Israeli intelligence businesses, together with the IDF’s Navy Intelligence Directorate (MID), discovered Hezbollah was planning to make use of them to focus on strategic navy websites in central Israel, together with within the Gush Dan area, the Israeli English-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
The IDF additionally intercepted drones touring from Lebanon that had been meant to focus on central Israel, in line with the newspaper.
Roughly 100 Israeli Air Pressure (IAF) fighter jets, directed by IDF intelligence, struck and destroyed “hundreds of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels that had been positioned and embedded in southern Lebanon,” the IDF mentioned earlier. “Most of those launchers had been aimed towards northern Israel and a few had been aimed towards central Israel, and greater than 40 launch areas in Lebanon had been struck in the course of the strikes.”
This picture taken from a place in northern Israel reveals a Hezbollah UAV intercepted by Israeli air forces over northern Israel on Aug. 25, 2024. (Jalaa Marey/AFP through Getty Photographs)
The IDF mentioned its forces struck Hezbollah launchers in a number of areas in southern Lebanon to take away threats and recognized a terrorist cell working within the space of Khiam in southern Lebanon.
“The IAF swiftly struck the terrorists,” IDF wrote on X.
At an earlier information briefing, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned Israeli forces recognized “in depth preparation by the Hezbollah terrorist group to fireside towards the Israeli Residence Entrance.”
“After in depth identification, the IAF and Northern Command started proactively and broadly hanging Hezbollah targets as a way to take away the threats aimed on the residents of Israel,” Hagari mentioned. “We’re eradicating threats towards the Israeli residence entrance. Dozens of IAF jets are at present hanging targets in numerous areas in southern Lebanon. We’re persevering with to take away threats, and to intensively strike towards the Hezbollah terrorist group.”
The Israeli navy mentioned it struck as a result of Hezbollah was planning to launch a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles towards Israel. Quickly after, Hezbollah introduced it had launched an assault on Israeli navy positions as an preliminary response to the killing of Fouad Shukur, one in all its founding members, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut final month.
By mid-morning, it appeared that the alternate had ended, with either side saying that they had solely geared toward navy targets, in line with The Related Press.
Israeli Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani mentioned Hezbollah had meant to hit targets in northern and central Israel. He mentioned preliminary assessments discovered “little or no injury” in Israel, however that the navy remained on excessive alert.
Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air system over the Higher Galilee area in northern Israel on Aug. 23, 2024. (Jalaa Marey/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Lebanon’s Well being Ministry reported that two individuals had been killed and one other two had been wounded within the strikes in southern Lebanon.
Individually, a fighter for the Amal group, which is allied with Hezbollah, was killed in a strike on a automotive, Amal mentioned.
HEZBOLLAH OPERATIVES KILLED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES AS TERROR GROUP FIRES 100 ROCKETS AT JEWISH STATE
Hezbollah mentioned its assault concerned greater than 320 Katyusha rockets geared toward a number of websites in Israel, and a “giant quantity” of drones. It mentioned the operation was concentrating on “a qualitative Israeli navy goal that will probably be introduced later” in addition to “enemy websites and barracks and Iron Dome (missile protection) platforms.”
Hezbollah mentioned the strikes would enable it to launch extra assaults deeper into Israel, however a later assertion mentioned that “navy operations for as we speak have been accomplished.” The terrorist group mentioned it focused 11 bases, barracks and navy positions in northern Israel, together with the Golan Heights, and dismissed Israel’s declare to have thwarted a stronger assault. Hezbollah didn’t present proof for its claims.
Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, was anticipated to offer a speech afterward Sunday.
After an emergency authorities assembly, Lebanon’s caretaker Financial system Minister Amin Salam mentioned officers had been “feeling a bit extra optimistic” a couple of de-escalation.
An Israeli Air Pressure fighter jet fires flares because it intercepts a hostile plane that launched from Lebanon over the border space with south Lebanon on Aug. 25, 2024. (Jalaa Marey/AFP through Getty Photographs)
“We really feel extra reassured since either side confirmed that the anticipated operations ended, and we all know that the negotiations in Cairo are very severe,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, Egypt on Sunday is internet hosting high-level talks geared toward brokering a cease-fire within the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, which diplomats hope will tamp down regional tensions.
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. is anticipated to make a visit to the Center East to take part in negotiations.
“Over the subsequent few days, the Chairman will go to key allies and companions within the area, Egypt, Jordan and Israel, as a show of the long-term U.S. dedication to the Center East and to additional his understanding of the varied views of ongoing tensions,” Joint Employees spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey mentioned in an announcement Saturday.
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“In every nation, the Chairman is scheduled to satisfy along with his counterparts and different officers for discussions,” Dorsey mentioned. “Gen. Brown will proceed to emphasize the significance of deterring additional escalation of hostilities, defending U.S. forces within the area, U.S. assist of Israel’s self-defense, and a coordinated effort in offering humanitarian help to the civilians. As cease-fire negotiations proceed, the Chairman’s go to is reflective of the significance of reaching an settlement that returns the hostages, ends the violence, and permits the whole area to deal with the subsequent steps towards a safer, steady Center East.”
Fox Information’ Bradford Betz, Liz Friden, Yonat Friling, Lucas Tomlinson, Kate Sprague and the Related Press contributed to this report.
