The last 48 hours have seen the most intense exchanges of fire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since October 7 – with Hezbollah firing rockets deep into northern Israel early Sunday.
On Saturday, Israel pounded Hezbollah targets with nearly 300 strikes, in what the military said was pre-emptive action to ward off a major attack. Further strikes continued Sunday. Lebanon’s official news agency said there had been 60 strikes on villages in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has been left reeling after two days of blasts targeting pagers and walkie-talkies used by its members was followed by an Israeli strike on southern Beirut, which killed a top commander and other senior operatives.
Below are the latest developments:
- Hezbollah strikes northern Israel: More than 100 “projectiles” have been fired from Lebanon into Israel overnight, the Israeli military has said. About 85 were fired around 6:30 a.m. local time, after approximately 20 were fired about 90 minutes earlier, the military said. “Some of the projectiles were intercepted, and fallen projectiles were identified in the areas of Kiryat Bialik, Tsur Shalom, and Moreshet,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Video in Israeli media showed cars on fire on a street corner in the northern town of Kiryat Bialik.
- Sunday strikes: Hezbollah’s strikes on Israel continued into Sunday, with Hezbollah saying it had launched “tens of Fadi 1 and Fadi 2” rockets toward Ramat David air base in northern Israel for a second time. The rockets, Hezbollah says, are in response to repeated Israeli strikes in Lebanon that have led to the deaths of “many civilians.” Little is known about the rockets, which appear to be a new addition to Hezbollah’s vast arsenal.
- Technology company targeted: Hezbollah said it also targeted RAFAEL, an Israeli military technologies company based in the Haifa area in northern Israel. The group’s statement said targeting RAFAEL is in support of Palestinians in Gaza but also a response to the explosions that hit pagers and walkie-talkies this week. The company offered no comment on the claimed attack.
- Israeli strikes continue: Israeli aircraft have carried out more than 300 air strikes on multiple locations in eastern and southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours. An IDF spokesman said that the strikes came after plans were detected for a Hezbollah barrage. The Israeli military strikes continued Sunday.
- Civilian restrictions expanded: The IDF announced new restrictions on public activities Sunday in northern Israel and parts of the Golan Heights. From 6 a.m. this morning local time through Monday evening, schools will be closed. Gatherings will be limited to 10 people outdoors and 100 people inside, according to the IDF. Beaches will also be closed to the public. Work-related activities can continue as long as shelter is nearby.
- Beirut death toll rises: The death toll from an Israeli strike on southern Beirut that targeted several Hezbollah commanders on Friday has risen to 45, Lebanon’s health ministry said Sunday. Emergency services are still combing through the rubble left by the attack, it said, using DNA samples to identify the remains. Hezbollah has confirmed that senior commander Ibrahim Aqil died in the strike, which leveled a multistory building in a densely populated Beirut neighborhood.
- Netanyahu delays trip: Amid the flare-up, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah. The prime minister had already pushed his departure from Tuesday to Wednesday, but “for now” plans to leave Friday, an Israeli official told CNN.
- Al Jazeera raid: Al Jazeera has broadcast live footage of Israeli soldiers raiding its offices in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, and ordering its closure for 45 days. The footage showed the network’s bureau chief Walid Omary and staff members live on air as Israeli soldiers entered. Video broadcast by Al Jazeera showed one soldier informing Omary of a military order to close Al Jazeera’s office for 45 days.
