Israel destroys thousands of Hezbollah launchers in southern Lebanon

The latest Israeli strikes came after fighter jets targeted approximately 180 sites in southern Lebanon on Saturday, eliminating thousands of rocket launcher barrels prepared for attacks on Israel.

In parallel, officials have implemented new restrictions for residents of Haifa and northern Israel as the country braces for a potential large-scale assault by Lebanese militants in the coming hours, following severe strikes amid numerous attacks in recent days.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that around 100 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel on Saturday.

Footage of strikes on Lebanese territory is available in this video:

الاحتلال يشن غارات عنيفة مستمرة تستهدف عدة مناطق جنوب لبنان. pic.twitter.com/Fy2gcRkgMF

— فلسطين بوست (@PalpostN) September 21, 2024

Against the backdrop of escalating conflict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations with ministers and senior defense officials on Saturday evening.

Hagari indicated that further changes to operational guidelines may occur depending on developments and warned that rockets could be launched at Israel shortly.

"If there are any further updates overnight or in the morning, we will notify you immediately. Rockets and other threats may be launched toward Israeli territory in the near future. We ask you to strictly follow the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines," he stated.

Approx. 180 Hezbollah targets and thousands of launcher barrels, ready for immediate use against Israeli civilians, were dismantled by a number of strikes in southern Lebanon.

The IDF will continue operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah's capabilities and terrorist… pic.twitter.com/lWyQNoydII

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 21, 2024

Major General Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli Air Force, confirmed that the country's military remains on high alert.

Updated

On September 21, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that military operations struck around 290 targets, including thousands of rocket launcher barrels and additional terrorist infrastructure.

Starting in the afternoon, under the direction of the Israeli military's intelligence division, IDF forces targeted approximately 290 sites, focusing on thousands of rocket launchers and other terrorist infrastructure in various areas of southern Lebanon.

"Over the past few hours, in an additional series of strikes, the IDF struck approximately 110 Hezbollah terrorist targets, including launchers and terrorist infrastructure in multiple areas in southern Lebanon," the report stated.

The IDF also announced that after sirens recently sounded in the Jezreel Valley area, approximately 10 projectiles were detected heading from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. Most of the projectiles were intercepted, and one projectile was found to have landed in the area. The incident is currently under investigation.

Escalation between Israel and Hezbollah

In recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in the intensity and frequency of exchanges of fire between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group based in Lebanon.

On September 17 and 18, hundreds of pagers, phones, gadgets, and other electronic devices exploded among individuals connected to Hezbollah. The explosives were planted by operatives of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and the operation had been in preparation for at least 15 years.

On September 20, the Israeli army struck Beirut, eliminating the head of Hezbollah's Operational Unit Ibrahim Aqil.

On the afternoon of September 21, the Israeli army launched rockets into Lebanon, prompting return fire from Hezbollah.

The US is concerned about the risk of a large-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.