The Israeli army said in a statement, “We are launching attacks in Lebanon to remove threats to Lebanese factions after observing their preparation to launch shells and missiles towards Israeli territory.”
The statement added: “Air Force warplanes, under the direction of the Northern Command and Military Intelligence, are attacking targets of the Lebanese factions that pose an immediate threat to the Israeli home front.”
In its message to the residents of southern Lebanon, the Israeli army urged “all persons located near areas where Lebanese factions are active to leave immediately to protect themselves and their families.”
The Israeli army added that it “will do whatever is necessary to protect the citizens of Israel.”
In a video message via the X platform, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said, “Fighters are currently attacking targets of the Lebanese factions.
The Israeli cabinet meets at 7:00 a.m., while reports say that Netanyahu and Galant approved the attacks in Lebanon during the night hours when they met with the leaders of the security services at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Kirya, Tel Aviv.
The sources reported that a violent series of Israeli airstrikes targeted the Iqlim al-Tuffah region and the outskirts of the towns of Ain Qana, Kfar Fila, al-Luwaizeh, Basalia, and forested areas in the towns of Kounine, Beit Yahoun, Hadatha, Rshaf, al-Tayri and the outskirts of the town of Haris, and other villages in Lebanon.
She said that Israeli artillery shelling targeted the Al-Dis area, Wadi Al-Hayr, Hama Rashaya Al-Fakhar, the outskirts of Halta, Kfar Hamam, Kfar Shouba, Kfar Kela, Al-Naqoura, and Alma Al-Shaab, and that there was an intensive flight of Israeli warplanes in the skies of the city of Nabatieh.
She said that two Israeli air strikes targeted the outskirts of the towns of Bani Hayyan and Talousa in southern Lebanon.
She pointed to a series of new Israeli raids that included the towns of Zutar al-Sharqiya, Beit Yahoun, Kafr Melki, Wadi Barghaz, the Litani River, and al-Shaitiya.
The New York Times reported, quoting a Western intelligence official, that the Israeli preemptive attack targeted missile launch pads in Lebanon that were scheduled to be launched at 5 a.m. toward Tel Aviv. The official added that “all the targeted platforms were destroyed” and that Israel expects “a harsh response from the Lebanese factions.”
For his part, an Israeli official spoke about “thwarting a major attack on strategic facilities in the center of the country,” adding that “the continuation of the escalation is related to the Lebanese factions.”
On the other hand, the Lebanese factions announced in a statement on Sunday the start of the attack on Israel, in response to the assassination of one of its most prominent leaders, Fouad Shukr, in an air attack on a special Israeli military target.
The Lebanese factions said in their statement: “The Lebanese resistance fighters began an air attack with a large number of drones towards the Zionist depth and towards a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later, and in conjunction with the Lebanese factions targeting a number of enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome platforms in northern occupied Palestine with a large number of missiles.”
The statement added: “These military operations will take some time to complete, after which a detailed statement will be issued about their course and objectives.”
Following this, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant declared a state of emergency in Israel for 48 hours after Lebanese factions announced the start of the attack in response to the assassination of Fouad Shukr. The Israeli army spokesman also announced the expansion of the scope of warnings to include the greater Tel Aviv area and all areas extending north of it.
Source: RT
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2024-08-26 08:24:07