ALBAWABA - Israel's "Israel Hayom" daily stated on Sunday that if Hezbollah is content with its recent retaliatory steps, Israel may not escalate its military campaign, closing the chapter on Fouad Shukr's death.
Nasrallah announces successful strikes on sensitive military areas, refutes Israeli allegationsThe article states that Israel has contacted various foreign partners to avert further escalation. The signals suggested that Israel's recent military measures were meant to deter a Hezbollah strike and not start a war.
Najib Mikati, Lebanon's temporary Prime Minister, has been negotiating to stop the escalation. Stopping the attack on Lebanon and implementing UN Security Council peace 1701, which calls for a truce and a Lebanon-Israel peace, were his priorities.
The Israeli military lifted the state of emergency except at the Lebanon border. After identifying Hezbollah preparations to launch rockets and missiles into Israel, the IDF executed a preemptive attack early Sunday.
The operation featured 100 Israeli jets and nearly 40 bombings on southern Lebanon.
Initial reports said Hezbollah was firing rockets at these airstrikes. However, the gang then revealed that they were planning a larger retaliation for Shukr's murder.
Hezbollah repeatedly said that it had attacked a vital Israeli military location by air. The organization said it launched 320 missiles in the first phase to overload Israel's Iron Dome defensive system and allow drones to attack. Hezbollah claims the drones attacked 11 Israeli military positions.
Hezbollah denied Israeli accusations that its military operations were prevented, saying all drones hit their objectives.
Hezbollah has not named its targets, but "Ynet" reported that one was the Galilot area, over 100 kilometers from the Lebanese border, where Israel's Mossad headquarters and 8200 military intelligence base are.
Hezbollah promised to confront Israel's accusations of a preemptive strike and interruption of their attack in a forthcoming speech by Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
