Israel attacks southern Lebanon, Hezbollah launches rockets at Israel

The Lebanese militant group said it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders Fuad Shukr at the end of July

In a statement on Sunday, the Lebanese group said that “more than 320 Katyusha rockets had been fired at 11 Israeli military bases and barracks, including the Meron base and four sites in the occupied Golan Heights.”

This action comes heavily anticipated against Israel’s targeted killings of senior commanders of Hezbollah and Hamas, building the concern of regional escalation.

In response, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon early Sunday which they claim was a defensive strike on Hezbollah when Hezbollah’s preparation to attack northern Israel was detected.

By mid-morning, the exchange ended, with both sides saying they had finished their attacks on military targets for the day. However, the situation is still tense, and the full extent of casualties and damage hasn’t been fully discovered.

Israel president Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will take all measures necessary to defend itself, “We are determined to continue to uphold a simple rule: whoever harms us, we harm him.”

A person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a car in the town of Khiam in south Lebanon, while at least four others were reported as injured in separate strikes

The attacks came as Egypt hosts a new round of talks aimed at ending Israel’s war with Hamas, now in its 11th month.