Israel and Hezbollah trade fire in major flare-up

A Hezbollah UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is intercepted by Israeli air forces over northern Israel following what Israel called preemptive strikes against the militant group on Sunday, August 25.?

Hezbollah’s latest attack on Israel has been completed, but further strikes could be carried out in the future, the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said in a televised speech Sunday evening.

Hezbollah launched its attack in retaliation for?Israel’s assassination?of its most senior military official, Fu’ad Shukr, in late July.?

Nasrallah said the militant group had delayed its response until Sunday to give “sufficient opportunity” for Gaza ceasefire negotiations to take place, to impose greater “mental and financial strain” inside Israel, and to ensure the attack’s success.

Details on the attack: Hezbollah’s plan was to launch 300 Soviet-era Katyusha rockets to occupy Israel’s defense systems, Nasrallah said.

Fighters were instructed to target military infrastructure and avoid civilians, according to the Hezbollah chief. The two main targets were Israel’s Glilot Military Base and Ein Shemer Airfield, he said.

Israel has said that during the flurry of rockets, Hezbollah also launched drones at targets in central Israel, but that its defenses were able to knock the unmanned craft out of the sky.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah would assess the attack’s results before determining whether they will launch further strikes.

Israel’s strikes in Lebanon: The Hezbollah chief said Israel began striking about 30 minutes before Hezbollah’s operation began. The Israeli military deemed the attack “preemptive” and said it destroyed rocket launchers that would have been used to strike Israel.

The militant group’s leader praised the “patience and courage” of people living in southern Lebanon, which was on the receiving?end of much of Israel’s strikes.?

What Israel is saying: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also indicated Sunday that the fighting may not be done. “This is not the end of the matter,” he said in a video message.

Despite the two leaders’ rhetoric, it appears they have each backed away from the brink of a wider regional war for now.

The United States helped Israel track incoming Hezbollah attacks early Sunday morning, according to a US defense official, but the US was not involved in Israel’s strikes in Lebanon.

The US has assets for intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance in the region, including destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and drones that can monitor the area.

The official stressed that the US was not part of Israel’s strikes on the paramilitary group in Lebanon.?

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group arrived in the Middle East last week, joining the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The USS Wasp amphibious ready group is already in the Mediterranean Sea. Advanced F-22 fighter jets have also arrived in US Central Command in recent weeks.

Smoke billows from an area targeted by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on August 25.

The government of Jordan is warning that the heavy exchange of fire overnight between Israel and Lebanon could lead to a long-feared wider war in the Mideast involving Israel, Iran and its proxies.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Ambassador Sufian Qudah, urged countries to observe United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for a series of de-escalating actions in southern Lebanon, where the Islamist paramilitary group is based.

Protesters attend a demonstration calling for a hostage deal?on August 24, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Gaza ceasefire and hostage talks in Cairo are continuing as planned today, a US official said, even as a major flare-up between Israel and Hezbollah deepened fears of a broader regional conflict.

Hamas and Israel each sent negotiators to Egypt for the talks on Sunday.

The negotiations have been slow-moving, and key sticking points remain.

An Israeli naval soldier died after sustaining shrapnel wounds on Sunday as Israel traded fire with Hezbollah across its northern border with Lebanon, the Israeli military said.

The soldier, 21-year-old David Moshe Ben Shitrit, was one of three people injured “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. The Iron Dome refers to Israel’s multi-layered, world-class air defense system.

The official said these were preliminary findings and the soldier’s death is still under review.

The Galilee Medical Center in northern Israel said it treated three young men with shrapnel injuries on Sunday morning, which were “a result of interception fragments in the Nahariya area.”

The hospital described efforts to save a 21-year-old’s life, but said he was pronounced dead at the medical center.

First fatality: Shitrit is the first reported fatality on the Israeli side since Sunday’s major flare-up began.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said earlier that three people were killed in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah also announced after the fighting Sunday that two of its militants had been killed, but it did not specify where they had died or if it had been in today’s strikes.

People look at an information board showing some cancelled flights in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 25.

European carriers have begun canceling flights to the Middle East in response to Sunday’s increased fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

French national carrier Air France has suspended all flights to Tel Aviv and the Lebanese capital of Beirut until “at least” Monday, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.

The airline may prolong the cancellation. It has promised to provide an update on Monday.

Meanwhile, British Airways has canceled all their flights in and out of Tel Aviv through Wednesday, a spokesperson for the airline said Sunday.

“Safety is always our top priority, and we’re contacting customers to advise them of their travel options,” the spokesperson said.

This post has been updated with an additional airline.

Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon on Sunday, August 25.

For nearly a month, people in Lebanon and?Israel?have braced for a wider war.

On Sunday morning, Hezbollah delivered what it called the “first phase” of its anticipated response to the killing of a top commander last month, launching hundreds of?drones and rockets toward Israel.

Israel said it had preemptively struck Hezbollah targets overnight to prevent a much wider attack, saying it hit many rocket launchers in Lebanon.

The cross-border fire Sunday morning marked a significant escalation after 11 months of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. But fears of a wider war appear to have been dampened, for now.

In Israel, authorities soon lifted security restrictions in the country’s northernmost territory, known as the upper Galilee. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said it had concluded attacks on Israel for the day.

This signals the resumption of the low-intensity conflict at the border. It also seems to mark the conclusion of an anticipated escalation from Hezbollah that brought the Middle East, once again, to the brink of all-out war.

Hezbollah has said this was the “first phase” of its response but has been scant on the details of a follow-up. The phrase may be rhetorical — the group is prone to keeping its threats open-ended.

Netanyahu made a similarly open-ended vow Sunday, saying, “This is not the end of the matter.”

And even if Hezbollah’s promised response is largely out of the way, Israel must continue to wait for another threat to transpire: Iran’s vowed “revenge” for the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which it blamed on Israel.

Read more here on what the latest strikes mean for the region.

Polio vaccines for more than 1.2 million people have been delivered to the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli agency responsible for coordinating the delivery.

Polio was detected in Gaza’s sewage water?last month,?meaning that thousands of Palestinians are now at risk of contracting the disease, which can cause paralysis.?

The 25,100 vials of the vaccine were delivered via the Kerem Shalom Crossing, near the border with Egypt, according to officials with Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

The Palestinian Ministry of Health?in Ramallah confirmed earlier today that the vaccine doses were awaiting delivery to Gaza. The ministry has not yet confirmed that the vaccines arrived in Gaza, but noted that the necessary equipment to keep the vaccines cold during transport had already been delivered.?

COGAT said local and international medical teams would administer vaccines to unvaccinated children in Gaza “in the coming days” and would coordinate with the Israeli military to use “humanitarian pauses” allowing people to reach medical centers and get vaccinated.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health called on international organizations to pressure Israeli authorities to halt their military operations in Gaza, stressing that it is essential for medical teams to vaccinate children and stop the spread of the polio virus.

Remember: Israel’s widespread bombing and ground offensive in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7 attacks, along with a tight siege on aid flowing into the territory, has led to a spiraling humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas continues in Gaza as it battles another Islamist militant group, Hezbollah, to the north in Lebanon.

Correction: A previous version of this post misstated where the vaccines were taken en route to Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in Jerusalem on July 16.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces had used its “intense preemptive attack” on Hezbollah sites in Lebanon overnight to destroy thousands of rockets “intended to harm our citizens and our forces.”

Sunday’s flare-up in the long-running clashes between Israel and Hezbollah began when Israel carried out strikes against the Islamist militant group. Israel alleged that Hezbollah was preparing to launch a barrage of missiles and rockets at Israeli targets, a charge the group denies.

Netanyahu hinted that more fighting may be on the way, saying in his message that, “What happened today is not the end.”

Drone intercepts: Drones launched by Hezbollah to attack a “strategic target” in central Israel were all intercepted by the country’s military, Netanyahu said in his message.

He did not clarify what the target was.

Palestinians inspect damage following an Israeli raid in Khan Younis, Gaza, on August 24.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza says at least 71 people have been killed as a result of Israeli military operations in the enclave over the past 24 hours.

Another 112 people have been wounded, the ministry said Sunday.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilian casualties and those sustained by Hamas, but it previously asserted that about 70% of casualties in the war have been women and children.

The ministry said the cumulative toll from Israeli military operations in Gaza since October 7 is now at least 40,405 killed and 93,468 injured.

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet fires flares as it flies to intercept an aircraft launched from Lebanon on August 25.

Israel’s chief military spokesperson on Sunday said Hezbollah had intended to launch several hundred rockets at northern Israel and target the center of the country with drones.?

The military has called its strikes on Hezbollah “preemptive.”

The Israel Defense Forces targeted and destroyed hundreds of rocket launchers armed with thousands of launch pads, Hagari claimed.

Speaking in Tel Aviv, Hagari said that the Home Front Command had decided to remove restrictions, including the limitation of gatherings, for most of northern Israel, except for the immediate border area with Lebanon and some settlements in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.?

A view of Cairo on Sunday, August 25.

Negotiators are in the Egyptian capital Cairo for a renewed push to secure an end to fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, the latest in a stuttering series of efforts to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas.

Heightened tensions between Israel and Iran have brought a fresh sense of urgency to bring the 10-month war to an end. Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel since a string of figures in Iran-backed militant groups were killed over a span of weeks, including the assassination of Hamas’ political leader?Ismail Haniyeh?in Tehran.

Overnight, the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said it carried out the first phase of its retaliation for the killing of a top commander, but the strikes have not impacted talks.

Here’s what we know:

What’s happening? Hamas representatives arrived in the Egyptian capital on Saturday evening, where negotiators from Israel, the US, Egypt and Qatar have been holding talks. The delegation will hear from mediators about the latest in the deal talks, Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement on Saturday. Israeli negotiators are also attending.

What’s on the table? A three-phase peace plan was first laid out by US President Joe Biden in May, which sees a release of hostages combined with a “full and complete ceasefire.” The White House is pushing to get the deal across the line and has previously insisted the deal has been accepted by Israel, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says fundamental issues remain.

What are the key sticking points? There remain significant gaps between the two sides. Israel has made it clear that following the initial six-week phase, a break in the fighting may be just that and it is not ready to agree to a permanent ceasefire. Hamas has indicated?it is unhappy with the latest proposal as it didn’t include a permanent ceasefire and introduced new conditions on the exchange of prisoners. Another major sticking point is the future of the Philadelphi corridor in southern Gaza. Israel has demanded maintaining control of the border zone, whereas Hamas has said Israeli troops must withdraw from the area.

Is a deal likely? The US has been optimistic about the latest phase in negotiations. Biden last week said “we are closer than we’ve ever been.” But the talks have been underway for months and it remains the case that there are major differences to overcome. Haniyeh played a pivotal role for Hamas in the talks, while Netanyahu is under competing pressures from families of hostages to secure a deal and from his cabinet to defeat Hamas.

Smoke and fire are seen on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel, after Israel said it carried out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on August 25.

Sunday morning in the Middle East began with a massive exchange of fire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, escalating tensions between the sides which had spiked after the October 7 terror attack on Israel.

Here’s what’s happened so far:?

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet fires flares as it flies to intercept a hostile aircraft that launched from Lebanon?on August 25.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah was planning a “wide attack” on targets in both northern and central Israel, but was unsuccessful, spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said.?

Hezbollah was “targeting mostly the north, but they also had a few targets in central Israel that they were not able to carry out with our self defense operation this morning,” Shoshani said.

Israel said it carried out preemptive strikes on Hezbollah to thwart a major attack. The Shia militant group, meanwhile, said its operation so far had been a “complete success.”

Israeli strikes in Lebanon: Shoshani said the Israel Defense Forces were focused on areas in southern Lebanon where there’s a “large concentration of rocket launchers.”

At least three people were killed in the strikes, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said in a statement.

No bases appear hit: The Israeli military said it is unaware of any impacts on military bases or targets in central Israel following the strikes. The Israeli Defense Forces told CNN that?“very little damage was sustained” due to the rocket attack.?

In northern Israel, images show some damage to homes in the municipality of Acre.?

Hezbollah is believed to be the most heavily armed non-state group in the world.

Backed by Iran and based in Lebanon, the Shia Islamist group has been engaged in confrontations with Israeli forces on Lebanon’s southern border since October 8.

Though no match for Israel’s military might, Hezbollah’s increasingly sophisticated arsenal has the potential to inflict significant damage on Israel and its allies in the region.

In the event of a major flare-up, Israel would also have to contend with Hezbollah’s strategic depth. The group is part of an Iran-led axis of militants spanning Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq. Some of these groups have increased coordination significantly since October, when Israel launched a war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants attacked the country. This axis is known in Israel as the “ring of fire.”

Throughout its decades-long conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has been engaged in asymmetric warfare. It has sought to grow its political and military might, while seeking to establish deterrence despite Israel’s military superiority.

But Hezbollah threads the needle carefully. Provoking Israel’s full firepower could significantly degrade the group’s capabilities, setting it back years – if not decades – and destroying large parts of Lebanon, which has buckled under the weight of its years-long financial crisis.

Hezbollah’s chances of survival in an all-out war with Israel hinged on whether or not it could outsmart these systems, which have, in recent months, intercepted thousands of airborne weapons from Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon.

See our visual guide to Hezbollah’s weapons.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Amsterdam on March 10.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that Israeli strikes on Lebanon early Sunday “epitomized” the country’s right to self-defense.

Herzog’s statement followed the Israeli military launching preemptive strikes against what it said were “terror targets in Lebanon” after it claimed to have identified Hezbollah “preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.”

The Islamist militant group called the accusations “baseless.” Hezbollah responded with strikes of its own, which it said was the “first phase” of its response to Israel. Hezbollah called the salvo a “complete success.”

Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued on Sunday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency, which reported multiple airstrikes in villages around the town of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon.

It also said that Israeli warplanes were flying over the western and central areas of southern Lebanon, as far north as the Litani River, some 20 kilometers from Israel’s northern border.

Israel has confirmed carrying out further strikes, saying it struck a terrorist cell and rocket launchers across southern Lebanon.

The two UN agencies that work extensively in southern Lebanon – UNIFIL and UNSCOL – issued a statement Sunday saying: “In light of worrying developments across the Blue Line since the early morning, UNSCOL and UNIFIL call on all to cease fire and refrain from further escalatory action.”?

The “Blue Line” is a demarcation line set by the United Nations in 2000 after Israel withdrew its military from southern Lebanon.

Tel Aviv has closed its beaches and cultural institutions after the early morning exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, the municipality’s spokesperson said on Sunday.

The city is also barring residents from engaging in large-scale official leisure activities due to the security situation.

The spokesperson reiterated that the city’s 240 bomb shelters are ready for use – though residents were advised not to stay in them unless they hear sirens or receive explicit instructions to do so.

Delays at Ben Gurion: There are also long delays as well as cancellations at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport following the fighting.

The departure and arrivals boards at the show delays of between two and seven hours in addition to many cancellations.

A spokeswoman for the Israel Airport Authority told CNN that all flights that had been delayed in the early hours of Sunday were now able to leave but that it was “up to each airline to schedule and decide if they are flying today or not.”

Palestinians gather to check a building after Israeli bombing in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on August 22.

Negotiators are gathering in the Egyptian capital Cairo for a renewed push to secure an end for fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo Saturday evening, a Hamas official said, while an Israeli delegation is also expected to head there for the talks.

There are still several sticking points over the potential three-phase agreement first put forward by US President Joe Biden.?

Hamas has indicated?they are unhappy with the latest proposal as it didn’t include a permanent ceasefire and introduced new conditions on the exchange of prisoners, among other issues.

Meanwhile,?Israel has made it clear that following the initial six-week phase, a break in the fighting may be just that and it is not ready to agree to a permanent ceasefire.

Three people have been killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Health.?

The full extent of the damage following a major exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah is yet to emerge, but two people were killed in the village of At Tiri in Nabatiyeh, and another was killed after an Israeli strike targeted a car in the town of Khiam, the ministry statement said.?

The Amal Movement, a Hezbollah-allied Shia group, said in a statement that one of its fighters was killed “while performing his national and jihad duty in defense of Lebanon and the south.”

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah speaks to supporters via video link on August 6 in Beirut, Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah will deliver a speech today at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) on the latest developments, according to Hezbollah-run Al Manar?TV agency.?

Israel’s military said it launched?“preemptive strikes”?against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after identifying that the militant group was preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory. Shortly after that attack began, Hezbollah said it launched strikes toward Israel?in retaliation?for the killing of a top military commander last month.

The Israeli military and?Hezbollah?have been exchanging fire for months. But the latest strikes mark a serious escalation in tensions and come as fears mount that a potential major escalation of fighting in the Middle East could tip the region into all-out conflict.

Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a security cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel on August 25.

Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “determined to do everything to protect our country,” in a meeting with his security cabinet Sunday, where the prime minister vowed to “uphold a simple rule: whoever hurts us — we hurt him.”

Netanyahu added the IDF had since “been acting vigorously to thwart the threats” and said the forces “destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the north of the country.”

Before launching its attack on Hezbollah, Israel?said Saturday that its military was prepared for any possible retaliatory attacks by the Iran-backed militant group over the killing of one of its top commanders.

Both Hezbollah and Iran have been threatening to retaliate against Israel since a string of figures in Iran-backed militant groups were killed over a span of weeks. Those killings late last month included the death of Hezbollah’s most senior military commander, Fu’ad Shukr, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and the assassination of Hamas’ political leader?Ismail Haniyeh?in Tehran.

Asked about the threats of retaliation, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters Saturday that the military was prepared for any possible attack by either Hezbollah or Iran.

Hagari was then pressed by a reporter from Israel’s state-run Kan 11 television channel, who said there were situational assessments that Hezbollah could attack soon. The IDF spokesperson did not say whether he was familiar with those assessments, nor did he indicate when an attack might be expected.

Hezbollah has criticized Israel’s description of its strike as “preemptive,” calling them “baseless claims” that “contradict the facts on the ground.”

The group said Israel’s claims would be refuted in a speech by its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, the timing of which will be determined today.?

The Israeli military had said earlier that it carried out strikes against Hezbollah targets “in a self-defense act” to remove threats it had identified.?

This post has been updated to correct the timing of Nasrallah’s speech.

A protesters holds a sign calling for a hostage deal during a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government on in Tel Aviv, Israel, on August 24.

An Israeli delegation is expected to head to Cairo for ceasefire and hostage release negotiations that are due to resume today, an Israeli official told CNN.

A Hamas delegation was planning to travel to Cairo yesterday to hear from mediators about the latest in the talks, Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said Saturday.

Several sticking points remain in the talks over a potential three-phase agreement as senior negotiators are expected to meet this weekend, and concerns have risen in recent weeks that efforts to reach a deal could be impacted by any broadening of the regional conflict.

Hamas’ al-Rishq reiterated that the group desires to enact the three-phase proposal introduced by US President Joe Biden, which would include the release of hostages from Gaza, a “full?and complete ceasefire,”?and the release of Palestinian?prisoners held in Israel.?

But Hamas has publicly indicated?they?are?unhappy with the latest proposal as it didn’t include a permanent ceasefire?and introduced new conditions?on?the exchange of prisoners, among other issues.

Israel has made it clear that following the proposed initial six-week phase, a break in the fighting may be just that, and it is not ready to agree to a permanent ceasefire.

An?Egyptian?official?familiar with the negotiations told CNN there are “still wide”?differences?before?an?agreement can?be?reached.

Egypt wants to see Israel “withdrawing its troops completely” from the?Philadelphi?corridor, an 8.7-mile strip of land in southern Gaza bordering Egypt currently controlled by Israeli forces, the official said.

Some context: In May, Biden laid out?a three-phase proposal?the administration said was submitted by Israel that would pair a release of hostages from Gaza with a “full and complete ceasefire” and a release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon on August 25.

The Israeli military says that about 100 of its fighter jets “struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels, aimed for immediate fire toward northern and central Israel.”

“More than 40 launch areas in Lebanon were struck during the strikes,” it said.

Hezbollah has yet to comment on the claim.

Lebanese state media NNA reported one person was killed in the strikes and that there was damage to crops and infrastructure.

Areas in and around Qabrikha, Tulin, Wadi Saluki, Houla, Aadichit Al Qusayr, Deir Mimas, Talloussa and Bani Haiyyan, were struck, NNA said.?

Earlier, NNA reported that “enemy warplanes” conducted strikes on the outskirts of the towns of Zibqin, Tayr Harfa, and Chama, causing severe damage to crop and local infrastructure, especially water and electricity networks.?

It reported that Israeli warplanes and reconnaissance aircraft flew over the villages of Tyre and Bint Jbeil throughout the early morning hours.?

Hezbollah said the “first phase” of its strikes against Israel “has ended with complete success.”?

The militant group said this phase focused on targeting Israeli military sites that would prevent Israel from intercepting a second barrage of drone attacks that is aimed at a “desired target deep inside the entity,” without specifying what that target is.?

Hezbollah then listed several locations it says it targeted successfully on Sunday, adding that it launched 320 rockets toward Israel,?and that the drones entered successfully.

Hezbollah had earlier said the strikes were in response to the killing of top military commander Fu’ad Shukr and others last month.

When asked about the number of strikes by Hezbollah and the locations they were targeting, the Israeli military said their count so far is approximately 215 rockets launched from Lebanon — but that they cannot currently say where they’d hit.?

Some context: Israel?said in a statement on July 30 that?it had killed Hezbollah’s most senior military official, Fu’ad Shukr, in a?drone strike?in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a populous?neighborhood that?is also the Iran-backed group’s stronghold.

Israel said it served as?retaliation for a deadly strike?in the Israeli-occupied town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which Israel blamed on Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied the claim.

A poster of Hezbollah's top commander Fuad Shukr is displayed during a ceremony to mark the first week since his death, in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 06.?

Hezbollah said on Sunday they’re carrying out strikes towards Israel in response to the killing of top military commander Fu’ad Shukr last month as well as others killed in the same strike, “including women and children.”

The group also said it’s carrying out the attacks on the day of Arbaeen, during which Shia Muslims mark the end of a 40-day mourning period that begins with Ashura, which commemorates the martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali.

Israel?said in a statement on July 30 that?it had killed Hezbollah’s most senior military official, Fu’ad Shukr, in a?drone strike?in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a populous?neighborhood that?is also the Iran-backed group’s stronghold.

Hezbollah added in a statement that it is “at the highest level of readiness and will stand strong and alert” to any Israeli “transgression or aggression,” especially if civilians are harmed “the punishment will be very severe and harsh.”

US President Joe Biden is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon, the White House said Saturday night.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant had briefed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Saturday evening in the US.

Gallant added that Israel is prepared to deploy offensive and defensive means and thanked Austin for the ongoing cooperation.

A Pentagon spokesperson on Saturday night said the US continues to closely monitor the?situation?and is “postured to support the defense of Israel.”

A screengrab taken from a video shows missile interceptions over northern Israel on August 25, 2024.?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a security cabinet meeting soon to discuss the situation in northern Israel.

The meeting comes as rockets from Lebanon have been fired into Israel after the Israeli military conducted strikes in southern Lebanon in the early hours of Sunday.

The Israeli military said there were approximately 200 launches from Lebanon towards Israel, with no reports of injuries at this point.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant has declared a “‘special situation on the home front’ across the country,” which enables the Israeli military to issue instructions to citizens, “including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant.”

Some cities and towns in northern Israel have sent out directives to residents.

The Municipality of Acre has directed residents to stay near shelters and reduce traffic. In the nearby city of Haifa, shelters have been opened, according to the municipality spokesperson.

A view shows smoke and fire on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel, after Israel said it had carried out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon, on August 25.

The Israeli military is striking what it says are “terror targets in Lebanon” after it had identified Hezbollah “preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.”

“A short while ago, the IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory,” Israel Defense Force spokesperson Daniel Hagari said early Sunday local time.

??”In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians,” Hagari added.

The IDF said approximately 200 rockets had been launched from Lebanon towards Israel early Sunday.

The Israeli military and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire for months.

Israeli emergency services and local residents gather near a site where a reported strike from Lebanon fell in Majdal Shams village in the Israeli-annexed Golan area on July 27.

Israel and Hezbollah have been effectively at war for decades, but the latest hostilities have been growing since Hamas’ deadly October 7 attacks on Israel.

Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah’s most senior?military?commander in July, who it blamed for a deadly attack in the Israeli-occupied?Golan Heights that killed 12 children, marked the most significant series of escalations since October 7.

Powerful paramilitary group: Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Islamist movement based in Lebanon with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East.

The Shiite “resistance” group, which emerged out of Israel’s devastating invasion of Lebanon in 1982, is tasked with confronting Israel, which Beirut classifies as an enemy state.

Israel occupied southern Lebanon for 22 years before it was driven out by Hezbollah. Much of the Western world has designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Since then, the two sides have traded fire sporadically, with tensions boiling over in 2006 when Israel went to war in southern Lebanon again after Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.

Hezbollah and Hamas have not always seen eye to eye, but they both support Palestinians and oppose Israel.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says his group boasts more than 100,000 fighters and reservists. The group is also believed to possess 150,000 rockets that could overwhelm Israel’s defenses if an all-out war breaks out.