Israel talks about self-defense. According to Hezbollah, its attacks are a response to an earlier attack by Israel.
10:00•Updated 10:11
Israel has carried out extensive airstrikes in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement.
The Israel Defense Forces says it acted preemptively because it discovered that Hezbollah was preparing a large-scale attack on Israel. About a hundred air force planes took part in the strikes, which Israel says destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rockets.
However, Hezbollah says it fired more than 300 rockets and numerous drones at Israel. So far, no injuries have been reported in Israel.
In Lebanon, the authorities say that one person has died, but the information about the damage is very preliminary.
In the morning, traffic at Tel Aviv airport was temporarily suspended.
At risk of a wider war
According to Hezbollah, it is taking revenge on the military commander who was part of the leadership of the movement By Fuad Shukri deadly. Israel killed Shukri in an air strike on Beirut last month.
Israel and Hezbollah have clashed many times. This time, Hezbollah started the attacks in October 2023 to support the Hamas movement operating in Gaza. Israel has responded by carrying out airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
It was feared that the clashes would lead to a wider war. Israeli Foreign Minister by Israel Katz according to Israel defends itself, but wants to avoid a wider conflict.
The escalation of violence between Hezbollah and Israel could mess up the otherwise laborious Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Egypt and Qatar have been trying to bring about a ceasefire in the more than 10-month war in Gaza.
of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz according to the Israeli negotiators have traveled to Cairo, where the talks are supposed to continue..
Iran also has revenge plans
Immediately after Shukri, who was part of the leadership of Hezbollah, was killed in July in Beirut, what was characterized as the political leader of the extremist organization Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Tehran.
Iran has vowed to avenge the attack, which it blames on Israel. News agency Reuters sources according to which only a cease-fire in Gaza could prevent revenge attacks. So far, Iran has not acted.
Sources: Reuters, AFP