Hezbollah has said it hit 11 Israeli military sites, fired more than 320 rockets and sent drones flying into northern Israel on Sunday as part of the “first phase” of its response to Israel’s killing of the movement’s top commander in a strike on Beirut last month. The Iran-backed group had vowed a significant response to the targeted killing of Fuad Shukr, raising fears that months of tit-for-tat strikes could escalate into an all-out war.
Early on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had launched strikes inside Lebanon after assessing that Hezbollah was preparing to fire rockets and missiles towards Israel. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the top Israeli military spokesperson, said 100 warplanes struck more than 40 Hezbollah launch areas, eliminating thousands of rocket launcher barrels aimed for immediate fire towards Israel.
