The situation in the Middle East is heating up again. Tel Aviv declares a 48-hour state of emergency and bombs targets in Lebanon in response to a “large-scale attack” by Hezbollah with the launch of “more than 320” Katyusha rockets which, according to the group, hit “11 military targets”.
“We observe Hezbollah’s preparations for attacks on Israeli territory,” the Israeli military wrote in a message in Arabic to residents of southern Lebanon. “Anyone near areas where Hezbollah operates must leave the area immediately to protect themselves and their families,” it urged. All flights departing from Tel Aviv have been postponed, and incoming flights are being diverted to other destinations. In a post on its Instagram account, Ben Gurion Airport said the move was necessary due to a “security situation” and asked travelers to check with their airlines for more information.
The Israeli security cabinet has also been summoned. The announcement was made by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The army claims to have discovered the preparations of the Shiite movement Hezbollah for attacks against Israel, at war for more than ten months on another front, that of the Gaza Strip controlled by the Palestinian Hamas. The United States reiterates its “support” for Tel Aviv and Israel’s right to defend itself.
Israeli Navy Soldier Killed by Drone Shrapnel
A 21-year-old soldier on an Israeli Navy patrol boat was killed by shrapnel from the downing of a Hezbollah-launched drone in northern Israel. Two other soldiers on the team were injured in the incident. The IDF spokesperson said the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation.
Hezbollah Drones Intercepted by Israeli Jets on Lebanon Border
A Hezbollah unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Lebanon was intercepted by an Israeli fighter jet in an area near the Lebanese-Israeli border, as seen from northern Israel on August 25, 2024. The Israeli military said that Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently striking targets belonging to the Hezbollah organization, which posed an imminent threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.
“In Cairo, work is under a temporary 72-hour truce”
Sources told Arab media that the Cairo summit is working on a temporary 72-hour truce after a full ceasefire in Gaza. According to al Hadath, Hamas has asked for time to verify the number of all kidnapped people, alive and dead, while the Israeli delegation has received the document with Hamas’ requests for revision and the Islamist group’s vision regarding the general lines of the agreement. Al Arabiya TV, citing its sources, specifies on X that the “discussions underway in Cairo” also concern “the Philadelphia corridor and the Rafah crossing.”
“The Israeli delegation today presented its response to the previous proposals,” the broadcaster wrote again without providing further details at least in this series of messages.
Hezbollah: “Today’s operation completed”
Hezbollah said its military operation against Israeli positions today was “completed” after announcing a large-scale attack with rockets and drones. But it also denied “claims” that Israel had foiled the attack. “Our military operation today is complete and accomplished,” the Iran-backed group said in a statement. Israel’s “claims of its preemptive action and foiling of the resistance attack are empty claims,” it added.
The news was also reported by the pro-Hezbollah TV station Al-Mayadeen, which reported that Hezbollah’s retaliation for the assassination of commander-in-chief Fuad Shukr was carried out exactly as it should have been and was concluded. Regarding Israel’s claims that its preemptive strike on rocket launchers was effective, the station said that such statements were purely directed at the Israeli public.
BBC: ‘Houthi attack on Israel expected’
Further attacks on Israel from a country other than Lebanon, possibly Yemen, are expected in the coming days, a security source told the BBC. The broadcaster suggested the attack could come from the Houthis, who have not yet responded to Israel’s air strike on the port of Hodeida last month.