E-Paper
‘You are in danger’: What Israel told residents of southern Lebanon before launching air strikes
Hezbollah announced that it had launched a large number of drones after Israel carried out pre-emptive strikes on Lebanon early on Sunday
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced early Sunday that it had launched 11 strikes on Israel with a large number of Katyusha rockets, after Israel carried out pre-emptive attacks in Lebanon mere hours before, reported news agency AP.
The Hezbollah attack was in retaliation for the killing of Fouad Shukur, a top commander with the group, in a strike in Beirut's southern suburbs last month.
Also Read: Anthony Fauci was hospitalised after contracting West Nile virus this month, know about the disease
Hezbollah said they were targeting “a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later” as well as “targeting a number of enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome platforms.”
Also Read: Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to return home next Feb, says NASA
The Israeli military had pre-emptively announced its own strikes on Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, with information that the militant group was preparing an attack on Israel.
Also Read: Clock ticking on Sheikh Hasina's India stay after Bangladesh revokes her diplomatic passport?
In a message addressed to the residents of southern Lebanon early Sunday morning, according to news agency AP, the Israeli military said: “We are monitoring Hezbollah's preparations to carry out large-scale attacks on Israeli territory near your homes. You are in danger. We are attacking and eliminating Hezbollah threats.”
"Anyone who is near areas where Hezbollah operates should leave immediately to protect themselves and their families," the message posted on Telegram said.
Immediately after they launched their strikes, the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant announced a 48-hour nationwide state of emergency, calling it a ‘special situation on the homefront’.
"The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF (Israeli military) to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant," he said in an official statement.
Israel’s international Ben Gurion airport was also ordered to cancel all take-offs and landings for several hours.
The strikes may have a dampening effect on talks for a ceasefire as negotiators were meeting in Cairo in a last-ditch effort to conclude a halt to fighting in Gaza and a return of Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
(With inputs from AP, AFP)
