JERUSALEM/BEIRUT: Israel launched extensive airstrikes across Lebanon early Monday after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel, marking a sharp escalation in a widening regional conflict linked to Iran.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, describing the campaign as a response to cross-border attacks overnight.
Hezbollah said its assault on a military base near Haifa was retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Explosions were reported in the Lebanese capital, with Israeli jets bombing areas known to be Hezbollah strongholds. The Israeli military said it was “vigorously attacking Hezbollah” throughout Lebanon and targeting senior members of the group.
Israel also issued evacuation warnings for residents in more than 50 villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, urging civilians to move away from Hezbollah-linked sites.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah’s rocket fire as “irresponsible,” warning it endangered national security and risked dragging the country deeper into conflict.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket and drone launches, describing them as an act of defence and a response to what it called repeated Israeli aggression.
The group had previously warned that any attack on Iran’s supreme leader would be considered a “red line,” signaling it could intervene more directly if Tehran’s leadership was targeted.–Reuters
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