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Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Preempting ‘Extensive Attack’
Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, August 25, 2024. Photo: Reuters TV via REUTERS
JNS.org – The Israel Defense Forces launched a preemptive strike on Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon early on Sunday, after detecting preparations on the Iranian proxy’s part to launch an “extensive” attack.
Approximately 100 Israeli warplanes launched simultaneous strikes on some 40 Hezbollah targets, destroying over 6,000 missiles and drones, according to the IDF.
The strike targeted missile launchers that had been programmed to fire at 5 a.m. at multiple targets in Israel, including targets in the Tel Aviv area, the New York Times reported, citing a western intelligence official. “All the launchers that were targeted were destroyed and Israel [anticipates] a harsh response from Hezbollah,” the official said.
Since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, Hezbollah has launched more than 6,700 rockets, missiles and armed drones at the Jewish state, leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands from northern Israel.
“Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s attacks on our civilians,” said IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari on Sunday morning. “We are operating in self-defense … We are ready to do everything—everything—we need to defend the people of Israel.”
According to Lebanese media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah, the group launched some 320 drones and missiles during the attack, and struck two “high-quality” military targets. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah will deliver a speech later in the day with more details, according to the report.
The Iranian proxy stated that its attack on Sunday morning was in response to Israel’s assassination in Beirut last month of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
כ-100 מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר, בהכוונת פיקוד הצפון ואגף המודיעין, תקפו והשמידו אלפי קני שיגור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שמוקמו והוטמנו במרחב דרום לבנון. רובם כוונו לעבר הצפון וחלקם לעבר מרכז הארץ.
כמו כן, הותקפו למעלה מ 40 מרחבי שיגור pic.twitter.com/aw2QPUnYfl
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 25, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had met, and Netanyahu planned to convene the Security Cabinet at 7 a.m. local time, per his office.
Gallant declared a “special situation on the home front” for the next 48 hours, a “declaration on the state of emergency [that[] enables the IDF to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant,” per the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Gallant and U.S. Secretary of State Lloyd Austin had also spoken on Sunday Israel time, shortly before midnight in Washington, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry.
“We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel,” Gallant told Austin, according to an Israeli readout of the call. “We are closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens.”
Gallant and Austin “discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation,” and Gallant “emphasized that Israel’s defense establishment is determined to defend the citizens of Israel and will use all the means at its disposal to remove imminent threats,” per the Israeli readout. “The defense establishment is following developments in Beirut and is prepared to deploy defensive and offensive means.”
U.S. President Joe Biden “is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon,” stated Sean Savett, a spokesman for the National Security Council. “He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening.”
“At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts,” Savett added. “We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability.”
“Since Oct. 7, Hezbollah has been firing rockets against Israel, displacing up to 100,000 Israelis from their homes and communities—an unacceptable loss of sovereignty that no other country, including our own, would ever accept,” stated Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.).
“Israel is no exception to the rule of self-defense,” Torres added. “The Jewish state has a right to respond to the relentless rocket-fire from Hezbollah, which stands as the most heavily armed terrorist organization in the world and the most powerful proxy for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“In addition to responding to 10 months of relentless rocket fire, Israel is acting on the basis of U.S.-Israeli intelligence revealing an imminent major attack from Hezbollah,” he said. “Hence the need for an Israeli strike that is both preemptive and defensive all at once.”
Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, stated that “Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets at Israel since Oct. 7.”
“Israel could not sit back and wait for thousands more to be fired into Israel, so tonight it struck preemptively to protect innocent civilians,” he added. “Israel has the right to defend itself and the obligation to protect its citizens in the face of ongoing Hezbollah attacks.”
This is a developing story.
This preemptive strike by #Israel comes as the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff is in the Middle East and plans to visit Israel. https://t.co/p5ECG7E3w1
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) August 25, 2024
The post Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Preempting ‘Extensive Attack’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Pounds Gaza City Suburbs, Vows to Press on with Offensive
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, August 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Israeli planes and tanks pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City overnight Saturday to Sunday, destroying buildings and homes, residents said, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with a planned offensive on the city.
Witnesses reported the sound of explosions non-stop overnight in the areas of Zeitoun and Shejaia, while tanks shelled houses and roads in the nearby Sabra neighborhood and several buildings were blown up in the northern town of Jabalia.
Fire lit the skies from the direction of the explosions, causing panic, prompting some families to stream out of the city. Others said they would prefer to die and not leave.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that its forces have returned to combat in the Jabalia area in recent days, to dismantle militant tunnels and strengthen control of the area.
It added that the operation there “enables the expansion of combat into additional areas and prevents Hamas terrorists from returning to operate in these areas.”
Israel approved a plan this month to seize control of Gaza City, describing it as the last bastion of Hamas. It is not expected to begin for a few weeks, leaving room for mediators Egypt and Qatar to try and resume ceasefire talks.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday vowed to press on with the offensive on the city where famine has been declared, which has raised alarm abroad and objections at home. Katz has said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas agrees to end the war on Israel’s terms and release all hostages.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City showed it wasn’t serious about a ceasefire.
It said a ceasefire agreement was “the only way to return the hostages,” holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for their lives.
The proposal on the table calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once a temporary ceasefire begins, the proposal is for Hamas and Israel to begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire that would include the return of the remaining hostages.
On Thursday, Netanyahu said that Israel would immediately resume negotiations for the release of all 50 hostages – of whom Israel believes around 20 are still living – and an end to the nearly two-year-old war but on terms acceptable to Israel.
‘HUNGRY AND AFRAID’
Around half of the enclave’s two million people currently live in Gaza City. A few thousand have already left, carrying their belongings on vehicles and rickshaws.
“I stopped counting the times I had to take my wife and three daughters and leave my home in Gaza City,” said Mohammad, 40, via a chat app. “No place is safe, but I can’t take the risk. If they suddenly begin the invasion, they will use heavy fire.”
Others said they will not leave, no matter what.
“We are not leaving, let them bomb us at home,” said Aya, 31, who has a family of eight, adding that they couldn’t afford to buy a tent or pay for the transportation, even if they did try to leave. “We are hungry, afraid and don’t have money.”
A global hunger monitor said on Friday that Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine that will likely spread. Israel has rejected the assessment and says it ignores steps it has taken since late July to increase aid.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
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Iran Signals Willingness to Scale Back Uranium Enrichment to Ease Tensions
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – Iran may be prepared to significantly reduce its uranium enrichment levels in a bid to stave off renewed UN sanctions and limit the risk of further strikes by Israel and the United States, according to a report published Sunday in The Telegraph.
Citing Iranian sources, the paper said Tehran is considering lowering enrichment from 60% to 20%.
The move is reportedly being championed by Ali Larijani, the newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who is holding talks with regime leaders.
“Larijani is trying to convince the system to reduce the level of enrichment in order to avoid further war,” a senior Iranian official told the paper.
The proposal, however, faces stiff resistance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has long opposed concessions on the nuclear program. Still, the report suggests Iran’s leadership may be open to greater flexibility, including the possibility of reviving engagement with Western powers.
Last month, i24NEWS reported exclusively that a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to travel to Iran. The team of technical experts would seek to resume monitoring of nuclear sites, inspections that have been heavily restricted in recent years.
The development comes amid mounting regional tensions and could represent a critical turning point in the long-running nuclear standoff.
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Major Brush Fire Erupts Near Jerusalem, Evacuations Underway
A view of the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train seen over the HaArazim Valley (“Valley of Cedars”) just outside of Jerusalem, Sept. 25, 2018. Photo: Yossi Zamir/Flash90.
i24 News – A large brush fire broke out Sunday in the Cedars Valley area, near Route 1 and the Motza interchange, prompting an emergency response from Jerusalem district fire services. Several water-bombing planes were dispatched, and authorities have declared a “fire emergency.”
As a precaution, residents of Mevaseret Zion are being evacuated. Access to the town from Route 1 has already been blocked, and officials are weighing a full closure of the major highway.
Fire crews from the Ha’uma station are on site working to contain the flames, while motorists in the area are urged to heed traffic updates and follow instructions from emergency services.
Eight firefighting aircraft are currently operating above the blaze in support of ground teams. The fire comes amid one of the hottest, driest summers on record, with conditions fueling a series of destructive wildfires across the country.
Officials warn the situation remains critical, as the blaze threatens a vital transportation corridor leading into Jerusalem.