Israel, Hezbollah exchange heaviest strikes yet
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Israel hit dozens of targets in southern Lebanon overnight in what Israeli officials say was a preemptive strike against Hezbollah, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.
- The strike comes ahead of what was expected to be a major missile and drone attack on Israel by Hezbollah, Israeli and U.S. intelligence officials say.
Hezbollah has said it is preparing to launch a major attack against Israel in retaliation for the assassination of its top military commander in Beirut by Israel.
- Over the last 48 hours, the U.S. and Israel obtained intelligence that showed Hezbollah was preparing to attack imminently, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
Zoom in: Israeli and U.S. officials say Hezbollah's attack was supposed to begin at 5 a.m. local time today. Several minutes before that, more than 100 Israeli fighter jets attacked and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah's rocket launching barrels, the IDF said.
- The IDF said most of the rockets were aimed at targets in northern Israel, but some were long range missiles which were aimed at strategic targets in central Israel, like the Mossad headquarters. The IDF said it has also intercepted dozens of drones that were making their way to central Israel.
- Eventually Hezbollah fired more than 300 rockets and several dozen drones. The group said in a statement its retaliation was successful.
What to watch: The Hezbollah retaliation, which U.S. and Israeli officials feared could ignite a much bigger crisis in the region, has been contained for now, officials say.
- But this was just the beginning, they say. Iran still hasn't retaliated for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. That response, while delayed for several weeks, could still come.
