Israel launches intensive airstrikes in Lebanon after Hezbollah chief’s revenge vow

Air force struck "100 rocket launchers, consisting of approximately 1,000 barrels": Israel military

September 20, 2024

Israel launches intensive airstrikes against southern Lebanon amid escalating tensions

Israeli warplanes have launched about 60 airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources.

The airstrikes come just a day after Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, vowed revenge for what he described as a series of unprecedented and deadly attacks against Hezbollah operatives. Speaking in his first public address since these attacks, Nasrallah accused Israel of detonating communication devices belonging to Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon which resulted in 37 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries.

The sources, who spoke anonymously, said that “the planes on Thursday dropped about 150 air-to-ground missiles”, adding that the casualties and damage caused by the intensive raids, “the most violent since October 8”, are not yet known, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli military said the Air Force had struck “100 rocket launchers, consisting of approximately 1,000 barrels.”

After hours of intensive strikes that began in the afternoon, the Israeli military announced just before midnight that the operation was complete.

The Lebanese sources said that about 50 Katyusha rockets were launched from southern Lebanon into northern Israel.

These developments marked the latest escalation of ongoing conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border that began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel’s retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes into southeastern Lebanon. The conflict has already caused heavy casualties and displaced tens of thousands on both sides.

Nasrallah had described the pager attacks as a “massacre” and warned Israel of “tough retribution and just punishment.” The Hezbollah chief claimed that Israel would be struck both where it expects and where it does not.

The exchange of fire occurred amidst two consecutive days of deadly explosions of pagers and communication devices across Lebanon allegedly carried out by Israel, which resulted in at least 37 fatalities and 2,931 injuries.

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