Israel's military has carried out dozens of pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon after revealing preparations for "large-scale attacks" by the terrorist group Hezbollah.
The military warned Israelis to expect a large-scale attack with rockets and drones. Air raid sirens sounded in the north of the country.
Hezbollah minutes later announced a large-scale operation.
"The number of Katyusha rockets fired so far at enemy positions is more than 320," the group said in a statement. They targeted 11 Israeli bases and barracks. The second phase involves drones.
In a message addressed to residents of southern Lebanon early this morning, the Israeli military said: "We are monitoring Hezbollah's preparations to carry out large-scale attacks on Israeli territory near your homes. You are in danger. We are attacking and eliminating threats from Hezbollah."
"Anyone who is near areas where Hezbollah operates should leave immediately to protect themselves and their families," the message, posted on Telegram, said.
According to the New York Times, the pre-emptive strikes carried out by Israel targeted launchers that were programmed to launch the missiles at 5 am local (and Bulgarian) time. Israeli airstrikes had begun just 15 minutes earlier.
Israel has declared a 48-hour state of emergency throughout the country. Flights at Ben Gurion Airport were suspended for about 2 hours.
The "state of emergency" allows the Israeli army to issue instructions to the civilian population, limit the number of gatherings and close the relevant areas.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant informed his American counterpart Lloyd Austin about the operation. US President Joe Biden has asked his administration for continuous communication with the allied country. The Pentagon said the United States stands ready to support Israel's defense. I BGNES
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