Hezbollah launches attacks on Israel

August 25, 2024 - Hezbollah has launched an attack on Israel with drones and rockets. Hezbollah, which is a an outlaw client state of Iran, says that the attack is in response for the killing of its top commander in a Beirut suburb last month.

Hezbollah, which controls large portions of Lebanon, says that it has targeted an identified "special military target." It says that it is also targeting Israel's Iron Dome platforms which protects the people of Israel from rocket and missile attacks.

Israel has announced that they have launched preemptive strikes targeted Hezbollah sites within Lebanon knowing that the Hezbollah attack was coming.

Hezbollah has been preparing to launch a major attack against Israel. Both Israel and U.S. intelligence had advance knowledge that Sunday's attacks were coming.

"The IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory," said Israel Defense Force Spokesman Read Admiral Daniel Hagari. "In response to these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon."

"In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is striking terror targets," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Israel said that Lebanese civilians were warned to immediately leave areas where Hezbollah was operating.

Across northern Israel sirens warning of incoming rockets were heard sounding alarm from the impending missile attacks.

Iran funds and, at least to an extent, controls Hezbollah. The question for U.S. and Israeli war planners is: will Iran directly enter this war. An earlier all out attack on Israel in the summer by Iran with hundreds of drones, missiles, and rockets was largely a military disaster failure for Iran. Is the Ayatollah prepared for a larger more sustained attack on Israel and risk a widening of the war and the Israeli retaliation that would follow?