Massive tragedy averted by pre-emptive air strike
Over 100 IAF warplanes simultaneously struck over 270 separate Hezbollah rocket sites in southern Lebanon, taking out thousands of rocket launchers that stood ready to rain destruction down on northern Israel. The rocket launchers were set to be activated and fired at Israel by timers at 5:00 AM.
The Hezbollah attack was intended to be in response to the IDF eliminating its Chief of Staff Fuad Shukr in Beirut last month. Some compared the preemptive attack to the airstrike that took out the formidable Egyptian air force in the early hours of the 1967 Six-Day War. At least six Hezbollah terrorists were killed.
The IDF reported that IDF soldier First Sergeant David Moshe Ben Shitrit was struck by either an Iron Dome interceptor or interception fragments while serving on a Dvora-class fast patrol boat that was on a defensive mission. Two other soldiers were lightly and moderately injured.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari told the media that around 90% of the targets were short-range rocket launchers.
Despite the devastating IAF strike, Hezbollah succeeded in firing 230 rockets and 20 drones at northern Israel. Most of the rockets and drones were intercepted or struck open areas.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah indicated that the two main objectives targeted by the drones were the Glilot base just north of Tel Aviv, which houses the IDF’s 8200 elite intelligence unit and is adjacent to Mossad headquarters, and another unspecified military installation located 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Tel Aviv and 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the Lebanon border. “According to our intelligence, the drones reached their target,” he said, claiming Israel was failing to admit this. “We achieved and surpassed our objectives.”
The IDF refuted this claim.
“Contrary to Hezbollah’s claims, there were no impacts in IDF bases, not in the north and not in the center [of the country],” Hagari told the media.
Nasrallah also denied that the IDF had carried out a preemptive strike.
“Talk about how the resistance [Hezbollah] was going to launch 8,000 or 6,000 rockets and drones and that [Israel] thwarted this… are false claims,” Nasrallah said, adding that only “dozens of rocket launchers” were destroyed.
Nasrallah noted that the Hezbollah attack came on Arba’in, the day Shiites commemorate forty days after Ashura, which is the martyrdom anniversary of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Forty is a sacred number in Islam. Shia Muslims usually observe the day through mourning gatherings, dramatic reenactments of Karbala narratives, and charitable acts. The Shia view mourning for Husayn as an act of protest against oppression and an auspicious time for Jihad.
Israel’s precision strike did not magically appear.
“We monitored Hezbollah for weeks using technological means and aerial patrols by Israeli Air Force aircraft,” Hagari said. “As soon as we identified Hezbollah’s intention to carry out the attack, we thwarted the majority of the attack. Hezbollah attempted to harm the north and center of Israel severely but was met with an iron fist.”
In the 11 months since October 7, Hezbollah has fired over 6,000 rockets at Israel, deliberately targeting civilian areas. Hezbollah strikes from Lebanon have killed 23 soldiers and 26 civilians. Hezbollah has an estimated 150,000 rockets and is capable of hitting all parts of Israel. It has also developed an increasingly sophisticated fleet of drones and has been experimenting with precision-guided missiles.
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