Hezbollah fired approximately 250 projectiles into Israel on Sunday, following an Israeli airstrike in Beirut that resulted in the deaths of over 25 individuals.
This aerial assault marks one of the largest Hezbollah attacks against Israel since the group began launching strikes last year in support of Hamas in Gaza. The exchange of fire coincided with ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict in Lebanon.
In the previous day's attack on Beirut, more than 65 individuals sustained injuries, with the death toll increasing to at least 29 on Sunday, as reported by Lebanon's Health Ministry. Three Israeli defense officials indicated that the Israeli strike aimed to assassinate a prominent Hezbollah military leader, Mohammad Haidar, although subsequent reports revealed he was not killed.
On Sunday, air raid sirens sounded in various regions of Israel, including the Tel Aviv area and Safed. The Israeli military confirmed the launch of around 250 projectiles, with some intercepted by air defense systems. Magen David Adom, the Israeli emergency response organization, reported treating at least six injured individuals and released images of vehicles engulfed in flames in central Israel.
Hezbollah announced it had fired multiple salvos of rockets toward Israel, specifically targeting a military location in Tel Aviv as a retaliation for the Israeli attack in Beirut. However, the Israeli military did not report a strike on Tel Aviv at that time, and independent verification of Hezbollah’s claims was not possible.
The military exchange occurred as the Israeli military also targeted what it described as militant infrastructure near a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon. Several villages in southern Lebanon were ordered evacuated, and airstrikes were conducted against Hezbollah command centers in the Dahiya area, a Hezbollah stronghold south of Beirut.
Israel has increased its military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon in an effort to pressure the group into a cease-fire agreement. As Israeli troops advance deeper into southern Lebanon, bombardments of the Dahiya region have intensified.
Discussions regarding a possible cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah appear to be evolving, although officials noted that significant issues regarding implementation and enforcement remain unresolved. Both parties have stated their intentions to continue fighting during the negotiation process.
Additionally, Lebanon’s military accused Israel of targeting one of its facilities in southern Lebanon, resulting in the death of a soldier and wounding 18 others. The Israeli military did not respond immediately but has previously stated that its operations are focused solely against Hezbollah.
Najib Mikati, Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, characterized the recent attack as a "direct bloody message" undermining ceasefire efforts. He met with the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell Fontelles, who warned that Lebanon is "on the brink of collapse," stressing the necessity for an immediate cease-fire and adherence to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
Resolution 1701 was unanimously adopted by the U.N. Security Council in August 2006 to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon and prevent hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, but it has failed to maintain lasting peace. Borrell emphasized the need to apply pressure on the Israeli government and on Hezbollah to agree to a cease-fire proposal.