Following their heavy exchange of fire on Sunday, Israel and Hezbollah indicated they would avoid further escalation for now, but warned that more strikes could occur. The attacks killed four people — three in Lebanon and one in Israel.
The two sides have exchanged messages that neither wants further escalation, with the gist being that the exchange was “done”, two diplomats told Reuters.
On Sunday, Israel said it carried out a series of pre-emptive strikes across southern Lebanon to thwart a large-scale rocket and drone attack by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on Sunday, in one of the biggest clashes of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The strikes came after Hezbollah vowed retaliation to avenge the assassination of a senior commander in Beirut last month.
Hezbollah also launched hundreds of rockets and drones against Israel on Sunday, describing it as the first phase of their attack.
🚨 #BigBreakingnews 🚨#IRONDOME intercepting missiles nd struckin down them a massive missile attack from Hezbollah to the northern side of Israel.. skies are filled with the missiles nd people are very afraid .
#Hezbollah #lebanon #lebanon #isreal #idf #iran… pic.twitter.com/YZsHoSvrZ7
— Geography🌏🏞️ (@GeoStatics7372) August 25, 2024
Tensions Soar
As an air raid siren sounded in Israel, missiles could be seen arching through the dawn sky, leaving dark vapour trails in their wake. A blast illuminated the horizon, while smoke billowed over houses in Khiam in southern Lebanon.
Israeli aircraft were seen intercepting Hezbollah drones over north Israel on Sunday morning. The militant group conducted an airstrike with a large number of drones that were sent across the border, followed by “more than 320” Katyusha rockets that hit 11 military targets, according to an NDTV report.
The Iron Dome in Action — Saving Countless Lives
In parallel, the IDF has launched a series of calculated preemptive strikes, targeting Hezbollah’s long-range missile sites deep within Lebanon.
These strikes are not just military maneuvers but a strategic effort to prevent a… pic.twitter.com/6U7zPKVTJC
— Ian Ségal ✍🏻 (@segalian) August 25, 2024
Israel’s foreign minister said the country did not seek a full-scale war, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “This is not the end of the story.” Earlier, he said Israel was determined “to do everything we can to defend the country”, adding that whoever wanted to harm them, they would harm those people, reported Reuters.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the militant group’s rocket and drone strikes were focused on an intelligence base near Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Netanyahu said the drones that targeted “a strategic location” in central Israel were intercepted.
US Vows Support To Israel
United States President Joe Biden said the US will keep supporting Israel’s “right to defend itself”, National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said, as quoted by Reuters.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East, increasing the US military presence in the region.
