Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Fighter Jets and Rockets... Concerns Over Middle East Escalation

'Preemptive Strike Concerns' Hezbollah Retaliates Against Israeli Attack

On the early morning of the 25th (local time), Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah exchanged large-scale airstrikes using fighter jets and rockets. After the Israeli military launched a preemptive strike on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon with about 100 fighter jets, Hezbollah declared the start of retaliation by firing more than 300 rockets at Israel.

According to AP News and others, the Israeli military detected signs of a Hezbollah rocket attack and dispatched about 100 fighter jets around 4:30 a.m. to strike Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon. According to The New York Times (NYT), the Israeli military identified the attack 15 minutes before it began and launched a preemptive strike.

The Israeli military shoots down Hezbollah drones in the air [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

In response to Israel's preemptive attack, Hezbollah launched rockets and hundreds of drones to strike northern Israel around 5 a.m.

Earlier, on the 30th of last month, Hezbollah senior commander Fouad Shukr was killed in an Israeli bombing in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Hezbollah claimed that as retaliation, it fired over 320 rockets and struck 11 military bases with drones.

Due to the clashes on this day, Lebanese authorities reported that three people were killed and two injured in their country. The Israeli military announced that one naval personnel aboard a warship was killed by missile debris, and two other soldiers were injured.

Both sides claimed their attacks were effective and blamed the other for initiating the conflict. Israel stated that its preemptive strike effectively thwarted Hezbollah's attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We shot down all Hezbollah drones launched toward strategic targets in central Israel," adding, "We prevented the attacks planned by Hezbollah."

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant claimed, "The enemy planned to fire hundreds of rockets, but thanks to the preemptive strike, more than 50%, or about two-thirds, were not launched." The Israeli military released a statement saying Hezbollah attempted to strike Ben Gurion Airport and other targets, but the preemptive airstrike foiled these attempts.

On the other hand, Hezbollah stated that it did not target civilian facilities such as airports and succeeded in striking military targets near Tel Aviv. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah said, "All drones were successfully launched and entered Israeli airspace," emphasizing, "If we assess today's operation as insufficient, we will retaliate again." This hinted at the possibility of additional airstrikes.

Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency for 48 hours, anticipating further airstrikes. Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an emergency security cabinet meeting and warned of a strong response.

The United States reaffirmed its support for Israel's right to self-defense and stated it would closely monitor the situation. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Defense Minister Galant on the same day to reaffirm America's commitment to Israel's defense. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC) said President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and Lebanon and is maintaining continuous communication with Israeli officials.

Pro-Iranian "Axis of Resistance" armed groups in the Middle East welcomed Hezbollah's retaliation. The Palestinian militant group Hamas issued a statement saying Hezbollah "slapped the face of the Israeli government." Yemen's Houthi rebels praised Hezbollah's attack as excellent and courageous and vowed to retaliate for the airstrikes on their stronghold, Hodeidah port, last month.

The international community is closely watching with concern the possibility of a full-scale war spreading from Israel and Hamas to include Hezbollah, amid stalled ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The United Nations (UN) Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a joint statement urging "an immediate cessation of fire and restraint from any further actions that could escalate the conflict."

Egypt, which has been mediating ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, warned of the risk of a new war in a statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.