IDF: Morning Strike Foiled Most Of Hezbollah Attack, Netanyahu: Preemptive Strikes 'Not The End Of The Story'

IDF says morning strike foiled most of Hezbollah attack, likely took out future threats

Emanuel Fabian

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a video statement says Hezbollah intended to launch hundreds of rockets at the north and several drones at central Israel in its attack, which he says was mostly thwarted by the military.

“Before dawn, we identified Hezbollah preparations to carry out launches against the north and center [of Israel]. Some 100 Israeli Air Force fighter jets preemptively struck to remove the threats,” Hagari says.

“Hundreds of rocket launchers armed with thousands of launch barrels. Most of them were aimed at northern Israel. We also struck drones that were aimed at central Israel,” he says.

“Hezbollah planned to launch hundreds of rockets at the north of the country and drones at central [Israel]. We removed a larger threat, likely a future threat in some areas, with an emphasis on the rockets at northern Israel,” Hagari says, adding that the strikes took place in around 40 areas of southern Lebanon.

“We foiled most of Hezbollah’s planned attack, and we intercepted many of the threats launched at Israel,” he says.

Netanyahu: Preemptive strikes against Hezbollah are ‘not the end of the story’

TOI

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in his opening remarks at the weekly cabinet meeting that Israel’s preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon this morning was not “the end of the story.”

“Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones. We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful, preemptive strike to eliminate the threat,” Netanyahu says.

“The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, and all of them were aimed at harming our citizens and our forces in the Galilee,” he adds. “In addition, the IDF intercepted all the drones that Hezbollah launched at strategic targets in the center of the country.”

“Israel is hitting Hezbollah with surprising, crushing blows. Three weeks ago we eliminated its chief of staff,” Netanyahu says. “Today we foiled its attack plan. [Hezbollah’s Hassan] Nasrallah in Beirut and [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step on the way to changing the situation in the north and returning our residents safely to their homes.”