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By Thursday morning, Israeli officials said the attempted attack had been significantly larger than initially reported.
By United with Israel Staff
Hezbollah launched a large-scale barrage of roughly 200 rockets and drones toward Israel on Wednesday evening, triggering widespread sirens and interceptions by Israeli air defenses as the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on Hezbollah launchers and infrastructure across Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Earlier in the evening, Israel was preparing for the possibility of a significant escalation in missile fire from Iran and Hezbollah, according to reports.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security consultation to assess developments, while the Home Front Command instructed residents in northern Israel to remain near protected spaces as alerts began sounding across the region.
Shortly after 8:20 p.m., the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed that Hezbollah had launched rockets toward several areas in Israel.
“In the past few minutes, the Hezbollah terrorist organization launched rockets toward several areas in Israel,” the military said.
“Along with the intercepting effort, the Israeli Air Force is currently striking ready-to-launch projectile launchers and additional infrastructure sites belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon.”
Air raid sirens continued to sound across northern communities as the attacks unfolded, and drone infiltration alerts were reported throughout the night while Israeli forces worked to intercept incoming threats.
Following the barrage, Hezbollah announced the launch of a new military campaign against Israel called “Al-Asif Al-Ma’koul,” signaling an intensification of hostilities along the northern front.
By Thursday morning, Israeli officials said the attempted attack had been significantly larger than initially reported.
Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, commander of the IDF Northern Command, said Hezbollah had launched between 200 and 220 rockets and drones toward Israeli territory during the combined assault.
According to Milo, Israeli forces had prepared in advance for the expected attack by increasing intelligence collection and reinforcing aerial strike capabilities. Those preparations enabled the military to disrupt a large portion of the planned assault.
He said Israeli forces succeeded in thwarting roughly two-thirds of the launches Hezbollah had intended to carry out.
During overnight operations, Israeli aircraft struck more than half of the launchers involved in the attack and targeted militants connected to the barrage. Hezbollah had planned additional waves of missile and drone launches, but Israeli strikes on launch sites and operatives significantly reduced the scope of the assault, the military said.
The IDF later issued evacuation warnings to residents in Beirut’s Dahieh district, a Hezbollah stronghold.
IDF Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee warned residents that Israeli forces would act with significant force against Hezbollah facilities, assets, and weapons in the area and urged civilians to leave immediately.
Israeli aircraft subsequently carried out extensive strikes against Hezbollah targets in the district as part of ongoing operations aimed at degrading the group’s military capabilities.
According to the IDF, within 30 minutes Israeli forces struck 10 Hezbollah terror headquarters in the Dahieh area, including intelligence headquarters, a Radwan unit headquarters, and additional command centers.
During the strikes, the military said dozens of Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated while preparing launches toward Israel, and dozens of launchers ready to fire were dismantled.
In total, the IDF said 70 terror targets were struck, including terrorist infrastructure, weapons storage facilities, central headquarters, key operatives, and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force headquarters in Beirut.
“The IDF will not tolerate any harm to the residents of the State of Israel,” the military said.
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