The IDF and Hezbollah entered a new, much more dangerous phase of the conflict in the North early Sunday morning, with hundreds of air force jets striking thousands of Hezbollah rocket attack platforms.
With Israeli intelligence observing that Hezbollah was about to launch its largest attack of the current war, including to the Tel Aviv and central Israel areas, around 5:00 a.m., the IDF preemptively and independently struck targets where Hezbollah was on the verge of firing on Israel.
Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the preventative action against Hezbollah at IDF headquarters Saturday night and were bringing together the security cabinet around 7:00 a.m.
Netanyahu told the security cabinet, "This morning, we detected Hezbollah's preparations to attack Israel. In consultation with the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff, we instructed the IDF to act proactively to remove the threat.”
“The IDF has since been working vigorously to thwart such threats. It destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the north of the country, it has also thwarted many other threats and operates with great power - both in defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu asked Israeli citizens to follow the Home Front commands.
“We are determined to do everything to protect our country, return the residents of the north safely to their homes, and continue to uphold a simple rule: whoever harms us - we will harm them,” he said.
Starting at around 5:30 am on Sunday, Hezbollah claimed it launched around 320 rockets at northern Israel, including at areas like Safed and Acre, and at 11 military bases, which to date have mostly been left alone by the Lebanese terror group.
The IDF implied that Hezbollah's success and volume of attacks were lower than what it was claiming while refusing to give specifics, saying this would fall into the trap of letting Hezbollah make quick adjustments.
The military said it successfully shot down huge numbers of attempted Hezbollah attacks without giving specific numbers.
A small number of incidents on the Israeli side were under gag order.
An Israeli air strike on a car in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam on Sunday left one person dead, Lebanon's state news agency and a security source said.
Hezbollah claims
The group said its attacks came in response to Israel's killing of the group's top commander in a strike on a Beirut suburb last month.
"By God's grace, the first stage has been fully completed with complete success. This stage involved targeting Israeli barracks and sites to facilitate the passage of attack drones towards their intended destination deep within the entity [Israel]. The drones passed, praise be to God, as planned," the group wrote. "The number of Katyusha rockets fired so far has exceeded 320 rockets directed at the enemy’s positions."
At this stage, while the IDF is prepared for any scenario, there is no new move for an IDF land invasion of southern Lebanon, something that many residents of the north and some coalition officials have called for in recent months but which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently opposed.
It is unclear how large Hezbollah's attack would have been absent the initial attack by the IDF, and it is further unclear whether Hezbollah will continue to escalate its attacks and how far south it will fire.
Changes to Home Front Command
However, the IDF Home Front Command has already radically changed its instructions, placing limits on public gatherings, workspaces, and education activities reaching south of the Upper Galilee (which has often had restrictions) as far South as Tel Aviv.
The Central and Jerusalem regions South of Tel Aviv are not yet impacted, but Ben Gurion Airport has been temporarily closed as a strict measure in case the situation escalates.
IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari warned the public of the potential deteriorating situation in an early morning press conference.
"In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians."
"Hezbollah will soon fire rockets, and possibly missiles and UAVs, towards Israeli territory. From right next to the homes of Lebanese civilians in the South of Lebanon, we can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch an extensive attack on Israel while endangering the Lebanese civilians."
Israel Airports Authority announced on Sunday morning that departures from Ben Gurion Airport will be delayed for the next few hours, and flights en route to Ben Gurion Airport will be redirected to alternative airports in the region. It added that airlines were informed that the skies in Israel would be closed until at least 10:00 a.m.
Authorities later said Ben Gurion Airport was expected to resume operations at 7:00 a.m.
MDA CEO Eli Bin assessed the security situation overnight, and MDA spokesman Zachi Heller announced on Sunday morning that Magen David Adom was subsequently on high alert in all areas of the country.
Sunday marks Ziyara Shabaniya, or Arbaeen, commemorating the fortieth day of Ashura. On this day, Shiites raise the red flag symbolizing revenge, and there is concern that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah might seek to echo this Muslim symbol by launching an attack.
The IDF is aware of gatherings in several locations in Lebanon and fears that these large assemblies may be preparations for attacks against Israel. The Israeli assessment is that Hezbollah may strike if Hamas communicates a negative response to mediation proposals, signaling that negotiations are likely heading toward collapse rather than a breakthrough.
Additionally, Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami commented on the possible retaliation against Israel for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, stating, "You will hear news soon."