On Sunday, August 25, a Hezbollah unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force over northern Israel following what Israel called a pre-emptive strike against the militant group.
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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address on Sunday night that his group’s latest attack on Israel was complete but that further attacks were possible in the future.
Hezbollah launched the attack in retaliation for Israel’s assassination of top Hezbollah official Fouad Shukr in late July.
Nasrallah said the militant group delayed its response until Sunday to give “ample opportunity” for Gaza ceasefire negotiations to take place, to impose further “psychological and financial tension” inside Israel and to ensure the success of its attacks.
“We were prepared. The delay was due to the high level of Israeli and American air, land and sea alert. Any hasty action could have ended in failure,” Nasrallah said.
Details of the attack: Hezbollah’s plan was to fire 300 Soviet-era Katyusha rockets to capture Israeli defense systems, Nasrallah said.
Hezbollah leaders said their fighters had been instructed to target military installations and avoid civilians, with the primary targets being Israel’s Grillot military base and Ein Shemar airfield.
Israel said Hezbollah also fired drones at targets in central Israel during the rocket attack but that its own defenses were able to shoot the drones out of the sky.
Nasrallah said Hezbollah would assess the results of the attack before deciding whether to carry out further attacks.
Israeli attack on Lebanon: Hezbollah leaders said Israel launched its attack about 30 minutes before the Hezbollah operation began. The Israeli military characterized the attack as a “preemptive strike” and said it destroyed rocket launchers that were meant to be used to attack Israel.
“What happened was not a preemptive strike, it was an attack,” Nasrallah said.
The militant group’s leader praised the “patience and courage” of residents of southern Lebanon, which has borne many of the Israeli attacks.
What Israel says: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also suggested Sunday that the fighting may not be over. “This is not the end of the problem,” he said in a video message.
Despite their rhetoric, for now both leaders appear to have stepped back from the brink of a broader regional war.