Hezbollah launches ‘first phase’ of retaliatory attacks on Israel in retaliation for Fuad Shukr killing

CAIRO – 25 August 2024: Hezbollah declared on Sunday the completion of the "first phase" of retaliatory strikes against Israel, deploying drones and launching 320 Katyusha rockets targeting 11 Israeli military installations.

"Indeed, we will take revenge upon the criminals," Hezbollah stated in a release, citing these actions as reprisals for the assassination of their senior commander, Fuad Shukr, in a late July Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

Hezbollah said it successfully targeted and hit the Meron Base, Neveh Ziv Artillery Position, Zaatoun Base, Zaoura Artillery Positions, Sahel Base, Ein Zeitim Base, and Ramot Naftali Barracks.

In the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the movement said it also hit the Keila Barracks, UAV Barracks, Nafah Base, and Yardena Base.

Simultaneously, the Israeli military disclosed that "dozens" of warplanes conducted operations inside Lebanon upon detecting Hezbollah's preparations to launch rockets towards Israel.

A security source in Lebanon, as cited by Reuters, reported around 40 Israeli strikes impacting the southern parts of the country.

Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, declared a state of emergency for the coming 48 hours.

Reacting to the events, White House National Security Council Spokesperson Sean Savett reiterated the United States' unwavering support for "Israel's right to defend itself."

Recent Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, amid the ongoing Gaza war since October 7, have raised concerns of a potential regional escalation.

Both Israel and the US are on high alert for potential retaliatory actions from Iran against Israeli interests following the recent assassinations of Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

Efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have intensified as they mediate between Hamas and Israel to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and a potential prisoner exchange, aiming to defuse the escalating regional tensions.

These latest tensions unfold as Cairo hosts critical negotiations involving representatives from Israel, Hamas, and the US to broker a resolution.

The Gaza war has endured for over 10 months, with incessant Israeli assaults killing 40,334 individuals and injuring 93,356, according to Gaza's health ministry's report last Saturday.

Furthermore, the war has led to the displacement of the majority of Gaza's 2.2 million residents and pushed the strip to the brink of famine.