The Israeli Air Force has completed a new wave of massive strikes on the infrastructure of the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, the army press service reported.
According to its statement, a total of about 290 targets were attacked in 24 hours, including thousands of missile launcher containers.
In total, the army reported two waves of airstrikes in Lebanon during the day. During the first one, 180 targets were hit, while during the second, 110 targets were attacked. The strikes were carried out “in multiple areas of southern Lebanon,” the statement noted.
“The IDF will continue to operate to weaken and eliminate the capabilities and terrorist infrastructure of Hezbollah,” the press service said.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has launched 115 “aerial targets” at civilian areas in northern Israel over the past few hours, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has said.
Some of the rockets landed near the northern Israeli city of Haifa.
Israeli first responders say the early morning barrage wounded at least three people, damaged buildings and set cars on fire.
Hezbollah said it had targeted a military base nearby.
The barrage came after an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital Beirut killed at least 37 people on Friday.
Among those killed were Ibrahim Akil, who was in charge of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, and Ahmed Wahbi, another senior commander in the group’s military wing (see yesterday’s 15:07 post).
“The IDF defensive arrays are deployed in the area, are on high preparedness to thwart threats,” the Israeli military added.
Smoke rises above Haifa after rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel. Pic: Reuters
Israel said earlier that it had struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
It said in its latest statement: “IDF strikes will continue and will intensify against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire since the outbreak of the war in Gaza nearly a year ago, when the militant group began firing rockets in solidarity with the Palestinians and its fellow Iran-backed ally Hamas.