Israel launched dozens of preemptive airstrikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah fired its biggest cross-border missile barrage to date as the sides lurched closer to all-out war.
Some 100 Israeli fighter jets destroyed thousands of Hamas rockets in strikes on 40 launch areas in southern Lebanon in the early hours of Sunday morning, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
Hezbollah later claimed it had succeeded in hitting a dozen targets with hundreds of rockets fired at northern and central Israel in revenge for the Israeli killing of one of its top officials last month.
Meanwhile, footage showed huge smoke billows and explosions from an Israeli air strike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah drones were captured over northern Israel with one being intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system and another landing on a highway, causing an explosion on the road.
Mr Netanyahu said he instructed the Israel Defense Forces to “act proactively to remove the threat” from Hezbollah, and asked citizens to obey the directives of the IDF’s home front command.
An Israeli official told The Telegraph that Israel “is not interested in a war”, adding that it looked like this round of fighting is over for now “but you never know with Hezbollah”.
Hezbollah later announced that Sunday’s attack had been “completed,” and insisted that Israel’s pre-emptive attack claim “contradicts the facts on the ground”. The group added that the attack had been designed to avoid triggering an all-out war.
An Israeli official told The Telegraph that Hezbollah had planned on targeting Israeli military intelligence and Mossad headquarters in Glilot near Herzliya in central Israel.
In Lebanon, three people were killed in the Israeli air strikes, according to the health ministry.
Hezbollah described its attack on Israel as the “first phase” of its response to Israel’s assassination of a top commander in Beirut last month. It fired more than 320 rockets and drones at 11 military bases in Israel.
Israel confirmed “more than 300” rockets were fired. It claimed damage was minimal, and no casualties were reported, but Jerusalem also issued a censorship order banning reporting on details of any damage.
A rocket was confirmed to have damaged two homes in the northern Israeli cities of Acre and Maalot. Footage from one of the houses showed a hole in the ceiling, shattered glass on the floor, and a broken window in a bedroom.
Another rocket hit a chicken farm in northern Israel, causing damage to the exterior structure. Firemen were seen putting out small flames left by the rocket.
Footage also showed Hezbollah rockets being intercepted by the Iron Dome in northern Israel.
The New York Times reported that the missile launchers in Lebanon had been programmed to be fired at 5am in the direction of Tel Aviv, citing a Western intelligence official.
The IDF released footage showing fighter jets striking Hezbollah launchers and a “terrorist cell” operating in the area of Khiam in southern Lebanon.
The rocket attacks caused Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to shut in the early morning hours, with several airlines cancelling their flights. It reopened at around 7am local time.
Beirut airport was also affected by the escalation, cancelling several flights.
Tel Aviv municipality announced on Sunday morning that all beaches and cultural institutions would be closed, while 240 public shelters were opened throughout the city. The IDF home front command lifted crowd restrictions from Tel Aviv and northward at 1pm local time.
Israel has been on high alert for an attack from Hezbollah since it killed Fuad Shukr, one of the group’s top commanders, in an air strike on Beirut last month.
Israel is also accused of assassinating Ishmail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political leader, in Tehran the following day.
Iran, a key backer of both Hezbollah and Hamas, vowed to retaliate but has also tried to signal that it does not seek a full-scale war.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was expected to give a speech following the attacks on Sunday afternoon.
Israeli government ministers were meanwhile instructed not to speak to the media.
Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the IDF, warned civilians in southern Lebanon: “We have identified that Hezbollah is firing extensively into Israeli territory near your homes – you are in danger. We are targeting and removing Hezbollah’s threats.”
Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, spoke with his Lloyd Austin, his US counterpart, overnight, saying Israel is “closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens”.
A White House national security spokesman said Joe Biden has directed American officials to “continuously” communicate with Israel and added that the US will “keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself”.
“President Biden is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon. He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening,” Sean Savett, the National Security Council spokesman, said.
The air strikes and rocket attacks do not seem to have affected talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
An Israeli delegation, led by David Barnea and Ronen Bar, the country’s intelligence chiefs, arrived in Cairo on Sunday to resume indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hamas as planned.
Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’s deputy leader, is expected to lead the Palestinian delegation in Cairo, although they will not participate directly in this round of talks.
