On August 25, the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon announced that it had carried out a large-scale attack using missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on Israeli positions.
Hezbollah's statement said the force had launched 320 rockets towards multiple locations in Israel, including military bases and barracks.
In addition, Hezbollah also brought "large numbers of drones" into positions deep inside Israeli territory.
The movement called the attack an "initial response" in response to the assassination of senior commander Fuad Shukr in a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut in July. Hezbollah said it was "in a high state of readiness" and would "take severe punishment" if civilians in Lebanon were injured.
Meanwhile, in Israel, Foreign Minister Israel Katz stressed that Tel Aviv does not want a full-scale confrontation with Hezbollah. Mr. Israel Katz said that the Israeli military discovered Hezbollah's plan for a large-scale attack using missiles and UAVs, so it launched a preemptive strike to protect its people and did not seek a full-scale war.
Lebanon's official state news agency confirmed that several locations in the south of the country were hit by Israeli airstrikes.
In addition to the preemptive strike against Hezbollah, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared a 48-hour state of emergency from 6 a.m. on August 25, while the Israel Home Front Command (HFC) updated regulations on security and safety for the people, including regulations limiting gatherings to no more than 30 people for outdoor events and no more than 300 people for indoor events, applicable to localities from Tel Aviv city to the north.
However, schools, offices and businesses will continue to operate if they ensure safe shelters. In particular, people in the northern regions are advised to maintain their positions near bomb shelters so that they can quickly evacuate when the alarm sounds.
On the morning of August 25, the Israel Aviation Authority also suspended flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv due to security concerns. However, this order was only maintained for a short time and flights resumed at around 11:00 Vietnam time.
In a recent statement, the US reaffirmed its commitment to supporting its ally Israel. Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated this commitment when speaking with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant about the defense capabilities against Hezbollah attacks.
During the conversation, Mr. Gallant also briefed Secretary Austin on the situation and said that Israel had conducted precision strikes in Lebanon “to prevent an imminent threat to Israeli citizens.”
Cross-border fighting between the Israeli army and the pro-Hamas Hezbollah movement in Lebanon has increased since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel last October. Fears of a full-scale conflict have recently increased following the assassinations in Tehran of Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.