Israel’s military said Monday it had begun carrying out a series of strikes targeting Hezbollah positions "across Lebanon," following overnight rocket and drone attacks claimed by the Iran-backed militant group.
The escalation marks another sharp turn in tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, as both sides traded accusations and military action in the early hours of the day.
In a statement, the Israeli military said the strikes were a direct response to incoming fire from Hezbollah.
"Following Hezbollah’s projectile fire toward the State of Israel, the IDF has begun striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation across Lebanon," the military said.
The statement indicated that Israeli forces were actively targeting locations linked to the group throughout Lebanese territory.
Earlier Monday, Hezbollah said it had launched rockets and drones toward Israel overnight.
The group described the attack as a "barrage of missiles and a swarm of drones," saying the operation was carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In its statement, Hezbollah said the strikes were launched "in retaliation for the pure blood of… Ayatollah Imam Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Khamenei," while also framing the attack as a response to what it called repeated Israeli strikes and as an act of defense for Lebanon and its people.
The exchange of fire underscores the ongoing volatility between Israel and Hezbollah, the powerful armed group backed by Iran and based in Lebanon. With rockets, drones, and retaliatory airstrikes now in play, the latest developments signal a further escalation in hostilities between the two sides.
