CNN
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The Israeli military is striking what it says are “terror targets in Lebanon” after identifying that Hezbollah was “preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.”
“A short while ago, the IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory,” Israel Defense Force spokesperson Daniel Hagari said early Sunday local time.
”In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians,” Hagari added.
The IDF said approximately 200 rockets had been launched from Lebanon towards Israel early Sunday.
Flights from Tel Aviv airport in Israel will be temporarily suspended Sunday morning, the airport authority said, after the Israeli military said it is conducting preemptive strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Golan Regional Council has instructed all residents in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to remain near shelters until further notice, canceling agricultural, educational, and other public activity.
The Israeli military and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire for months, and the cross-border hostilities have raised the specter of a regional conflagration which have prompted intense diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
Israel’s latest strike aimed at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon come after its military said on Saturday that it was prepared for any possible retaliatory attacks by Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah or Iran for the killings of their senior leaders. The news comes amid claims in the Israeli media that there are situational assessments that Hezbollah could attack soon.
Rocket fire toward Israel by Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon has become a near-daily occurrence since the outbreak of war in Gaza, but there has been an increasing number of skirmishes.
On Friday, Hezbollah had claimed 15 strikes against Israel. Hezbollah also acknowledged the death of seven fighters on Friday but did not specify where or when they were killed.
The IDF said a total of 110 projectiles were launched from Lebanon towards Israel on Friday, marking one of the fiercest days of cross-border fire in recent weeks.
This is a developing story and will be updated.