Beirut: On Sunday, August 25, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that Israeli forces had launched a preemptive strike against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The strikes were carried out following intelligence reports from both Israeli and U.S. sources, indicating an imminent major missile and drone attack on Israel by the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

The airstrikes on Lebanon reportedly occurred late on Saturday, August 24, as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have been steadily rising since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas. In the days leading up to the Israeli strike, Hezbollah had announced that it was preparing to launch a significant attack against Israel in retaliation for the assassination of one of its top military commanders in Beirut, an act attributed to Israel.

In a post, the IDF stated, “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.” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari further explained, “The IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory. In response to these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon.”

Ahead of the strikes, the Golan Regional Council in Israel had instructed all residents in the Golan Heights to stay close to shelters until further notice, leading to the cancellation of agricultural, educational, and other public activities. With Israel’s preemptive strikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah, tensions in the Middle East have escalated dramatically, raising concerns about the possibility of a full-scale war in the region.

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