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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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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.