Israel launches ‘pre-emptive’ strikes in Lebanon; Hezbollah fires back

Aug. 25 (UPI) -- The Israeli Defense Forces "proactively and broadly" struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah preparations to fire missiles and rockets toward the nation Sunday.

Immediately afterward, Hezbollah said it launched 320 rockets and several drones. IDF said approximately 200 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward Israel with no reports of injuries so far. Israeli military told CNN that "very little damage was sustained" and that it was unaware of any impacts on military bases or targets in central Israel.

A 21-year-old Israeli naval soldier died after sustaining shrapnel wounds. David Moshe Ben Shitrit and two others were "either directly from an Iron Dome interceptor or from falling shrapnel from the interceptor" that hit his unit's boat, an army official told CNN.

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging strikes for several months but these are among the most intense.

About 100 of Israel's fighter jets initially "struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels" across dozens of launch sites, IDF said. Then there were further strikes.

"We are removing threats against the Israeli home front," IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a press briefing. "Dozens of jets are currently striking targets in various locations in southern Lebanon. We are continuing to remove threats, and to intensively strike against the Hezbollah terrorist organization."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who convened a meeting with cabinet members Sunday morning, said preemptive strike was not "the end of the story."

"Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones," the prime minister said. "We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful, preemptive strike to eliminate the threat.

"The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, and all of them were aimed at harming our citizens and our forces in the Galilee. In addition, the IDF intercepted all the drones that Hezbollah launched at strategic targets in the center of the country."

The Hezbollah terror group said two of its members were killed "on the road to Jerusalem," its term for operatives slain in Israeli strikes.

Their deaths bring the terror group's toll since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip in October to at least 430.

Lebanese health officials said two people were killed from Israeli strikes on the village of At Tiri in Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon and a third was killed when a car was hit in the town of Khiyam.

Hezbollah said it carried out strikes in response to the killing of top military commander Fu'ad Shukr on July 30 in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a populous neighborhood that is also the Iran-backed group's stronghold.

"Israel is hitting Hezbollah with surprising, crushing blows. Three weeks ago we eliminated its chief of staff [Shukr]," Netanyahu said. "Today we foiled its attack plan. [Hezbollah's Hassan] Nasrallah in Beirut and [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step on the path to changing the situation in the north and returning our residents safely to their homes."

Hezbollah had claimed 15 strikes against Israel on Friday.

Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah , said in a televised speech Sunday night said the latet attack has been completed, but further strikes could be carried out in the future.

He said the response was delayed for three reasons: give "sufficient opportunity" for Gaza ceasefire negotiations to take place, impose greater "mental and financial strain" inside Israel and ensure the attack's success.

"We have been ready. We delayed because the extent of the Israeli and American security alert by air and land and sea was high, so rushing into it could've led to failure," Nasrallah said.

He said Israel's airstrikes were "aggression, not preemptive action."

The United States helped Israel track incoming Hezbollah attacks, according to a US defense official.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has joined the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East.

Flights resumed at Tel Aviv airport after being temporarily suspended for less than two hours on Sunday.

Air France suspended all flights to Tel Aviv and the Lebanese capital of Beirut until "at least" Monday, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV. And British Airways canceled all flights in and out of Tel Aviv through Wednesday.

Beaches and cultural institutions were closed in Tel Aviv.

Mediation talks resumed in the Egyptian capital Cairo in efforts to broker a ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas . Gaza is about 108 miles from northern Israel.

The Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 71 people have been killed as a result of Israeli military operations in the enclave over 24 hours. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian casualties and those sustained by Hamas.

The cumulative toll since Oct. 7 is now at least 40,405 killed and 93,468 injured, according to the health ministry.