Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Sunday launched their heaviest exchange of fire after months of strikes and counterstrikes. Footage from Hezbollah-allied Lebanese news channel Al Mayadeen showed several large explosions in Zibqin, Lebanon. It came as Israel said around 100 warplanes launched airstrikes targeting thousands of rocket launchers across southern Lebanon.

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The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday morning that it has “proactively and broadly” begun striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon to eliminate threats against Israel.

This comes after the IDF detected Hezbollah preparations to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.

“We are removing threats against the Israeli home front,” IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a press briefing. “Dozens of [Israeli Air Force] jets are currently striking targets in various locations in southern Lebanon. We are continuing to remove threats, and to intensively strike against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”

“Hezbollah is launching rockets and UAVs toward Israeli territory,” he continued. “Our aerial defense systems, the Israeli Navy’s ships and IAF planes are taking part in the mission of defending Israel’s skies, identifying and intercepting threats, and striking any place in Lebanon that is required in order to remove threats and hit Hezbollah.”

IDF STRIKES HEZBOLLAH TERROR TARGETS IN LEBANON AFTER THEY WERE SEEN PREPARING TO FIRE TOWARD ISRAEL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who convened a meeting with cabinet members Sunday morning, once again called for an end to the displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis by months of hostilities. 

“We are determined to do everything to protect our country, return the residents of the north safely to their homes and continue to uphold a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” Netanyahu said.

The IDF has already intercepted several rockets and UAVs that were launched toward Israeli territory, Hagari said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant overseeing a meeting at Israel’s Ministry of Defense following the IDF’s preemptive strikes against Hezbollah, August 25th. (Israel Government Press Office)

Hagari also warned civilians in southern Lebanon that they are in danger, saying the IDF has learned that Hezbollah is firing into Israeli territory near their homes.

Hezbollah released a statement saying it launched an offensive towards Israel and that its military operation for the day has been completed.

This photo taken from a position in northern Israel shows an Israeli Air Force fighter jet firing flares as it flies to intercept a hostile aircraft that launched from Lebanon over the border area with south Lebanon on August 25, 2024. The Israeli military announced early August 25, 2024 that it was conducting pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon after detecting preparations for “large-scale” attacks by the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah. Hezbollah claimed it had launched more than 320 rockets at Israel overnight, targeting a string of military positions. (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images) (ALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

“With God’s help, all offensive drones were launched at their designated times from all their positions and crossed the Lebanese-Palestinian borders towards the intended target from multiple paths,” the statement said. “Thus, our military operation for today has been completed and accomplished, praise be to God Almighty.”

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon on August 25, 2024, amid escalations in the ongoing cross-border tensions. Hezbollah terror group claimed early on August 25 it had launched more than 320 rockets at Israel overnight, targeting a string of military positions, even as Israel’s military said it was carrying out pre-emptive strikes against the group. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU/AFP via Getty Images) (KAWNAT HAJU/AFP via Getty Images)

“The enemy’s claims about the preemptive action it took, the targets it achieved, and its disruption of the resistance’s attack are empty claims that contradict the facts on the ground and will be refuted in a speech by Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, to be scheduled later today,” the statement added.

HEZBOLLAH OPERATIVES KILLED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES AS TERROR GROUP FIRES 100 ROCKETS AT JEWISH STATE

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday morning called on dozens of his foreign counterparts around the world to support Israel after the country attacked Hezbollah to thwart attacks against the Jewish State.

The minister stressed that Israel is acting to protect its citizens and territory against “the axis of evil led by Iran, which has a declared goal of bringing about Israel’s destruction,” according to the Israeli government. Katz said Israel does not want an all-out war.

“Hezbollah has just launched over 150 projectiles from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. We target terrorist infrastructure, they target civilians,” the IDF wrote on social media Sunday morning.

Israeli Defense Minister Gallant declared an Emergency Situation for 48 hours.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to Gallant about the IDF’s activities after Israel began eliminating Hezbollah targets. They discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation and Gallant emphasized that Israel seeks to defend its citizens using all the means at its disposal to eliminate imminent threats.