Hezbollah launches missiles at Israel from Lebanon
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Hezbollah supporters gather holding Iranian flags and posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while chanting anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans in the Dahieh district south of Lebanon's capital Beirut on Sunday. Photo: Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images
Hezbollah fired several missiles from Lebanon towards Israel on Sunday, two days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the Tehran-backed militant group and the IDF said.
Why it matters: This would expand the current conflict to another country in the region and threatens to seriously destabilize Lebanon.
- While seriously degraded by almost daily Israeli strikes over the past year, Hezbollah is still Iran's strongest and most important and strongest proxy in the region.
The latest: Israel Defense Forces "carried out a targeted strike" against senior Hezbollah operatives in the Beirut area a short while ago, an IDF spokesperson said early Monday.
- "At the same time, the IDF struck a key operative of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon," the spokesperson added.
State of play: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the launching of rockets as "reckless" after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the launch and said it was a retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
- The Israeli military said it was conducting retaliatory strikes in Lebanon, including in Beirut.
Zoom in: The IDF said in a statement that "a projectile that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force" after sirens sounded in several areas in northern Israel, and "several projectiles fell in open areas in accordance with standard protocol."
- There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in Israel, but the IDF began "striking targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization throughout Lebanon," an IDF spokesperson said.
What they're saying: "The IDF is currently carrying out powerful strikes against targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon, in response to launches that were fired toward the State of Israel," the spokesperson added.
- "The IDF will act against the decision of the Hezbollah terrorist organization to join the fighting and will not allow the organization to pose a threat to the State of Israel or harm residents of the north."
- The spokesperson said responsibility for the escalation lies with Hezbollah and the IDF would respond "forcefully."
The spokesperson added, "IDF forces have prepared for this scenario as part of an orderly battle procedure within the framework of Operation Roaring Lion, and are prepared for a multi-front scenario and to confront any threat to the State of Israel."
Salam said Hezbollah's action "endangers Lebanon's security and gives Israel excuses to continue attacking it."
- He added: "We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take all necessary measures to stop the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese people."
Between the lines: Israel warned both in private and in public in recent days that if Hezbollah were to open a new front on the Israeli-Lebanese border during a war with Iran, it would retaliate harshly.
Flashback: Israel kills top Hezbollah official in Beirut airstrike
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
