Hezbollah retaliated for the killing of a top commander in Beirut last month by launching a massive missile strike against Israel on Sunday. The strike was revealed by the Iranian-backed group just before Israel's cabinet met to discuss a counteroffensive. Hezbollah's missile attacks came after Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, which were conducted when the Israeli military discovered plans for a Hezbollah attack.
In response to the missile threat, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Hezbollah sites in Lebanon. Preemptive strikes by the IDF were intended to neutralize the perceived threat posed by oncoming rockets and missiles. Israel's cabinet met to assess the quickly deteriorating situation after the strikes, the defense minister declared an emergency, and planes to and from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv were grounded.
Israel's Iron Dome defense system stopped rockets from southern Lebanon as warning sirens sounded and explosions were audible throughout the country. Across the nation, the Magen David Adom ambulance service was put on high alert to handle any injuries and react to the developing situation.
The escalation between Israel and Hezbollah was anticipated following a missile attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights last month that resulted in the deaths of twelve young people. This incident and the passing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut increased tensions and worsened the current predicament. After Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, the situation deteriorated and Iran threatened to retaliate against Israel.
At the time of the Hezbollah attack, negotiations were taking place in Cairo with the goal of ending the fighting in Gaza and obtaining the release of Israeli and international hostages. Israel and Hezbollah's long-simmering dispute, which began with the Hamas assaults on October 7, now stands on the verge of getting worse as both parties launch military raids and retaliatory activities.
