Israel and the militant group Hezbollah have exchanged heavy fire as the conflict in the region intensifies.
“Dozens of rockets hit Israel, destroying homes, cars and communities,” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said in a message on X.
Israel said about 150 rockets, cruise missiles and drones were fired at Israel. Many were intercepted, but there were a “small number” as the strikes continued, NBC News reported.
Shoshani blamed Hezbollah for the attacks and said earlier on Saturday that Israel had “eliminated” 16 members of Hezbollah’s leadership.
The attacks follow an increase in attacks between the two groups.
Late last week, mobile pagers belonging to Hezbollah members exploded in Lebanon and parts of Syria in what was widely seen as an Israeli attack.
The coordinated attack raised fears of a wider regional war as Israel continues to fight Hamas in Gaza.
Israel is increasingly signaling that it is ready for a larger war against Hezbollah as it winds down operations in Gaza.
Hezbollah responded to the pager attack, saying it had fired dozens of rockets at an air base in southeast Haifa in retaliation for the pager attack and Israel’s attacks.
Israel said Sunday that 10 projectiles entered Israel from Lebanon. Israeli strikes over the weekend killed Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s operational unit.
Shoshani said on X that Aquil, along with the 11 other slain Hezbollah leaders, formed the group’s leadership and were “preparing terror attacks” similar to Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
“These murderous terrorists posed a threat to both Israeli and Lebanese citizens, with blood on their hands,” Shoshani posted.
As international leaders scramble to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire, Hezbollah is gathering across the border, posing a significant threat to external security.
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