‘Slap in the face’: Hamas hails Hezbollah strikes on Israel

On Sunday, Gaza’s Hamas praised Hezbollah’s strikes against Israel, describing them as a “strong and focused response.” Early Sunday, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes across southern Lebanon, claiming the attacks were a preemptive measure against Hezbollah. In retaliation, Hezbollah announced it had launched 320 rockets and drones in response to the killing of one of its senior commanders last month.
“We emphasize that this strong and focused response, which struck deep inside the Zionist entity, is a slap in the face” for the Israeli government, Hamas said in a statement after Hezbollah said it launched a large-scale operation using rockets and drones.
The intense exchange of fire has not yet triggered the feared broader conflict, but the situation remains tense. Meanwhile, Egypt is hosting high-level talks on Sunday to broker a cease-fire in the ongoing 10-month Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with diplomats aiming to ease regional tensions.
The Israeli military launched strikes after Hezbollah citing ‘preparation to fire a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles towards Israel’.
Hezbollah quickly responded with attacks on Israeli military positions, framing the assault as retaliation for the killing of Fouad Shukur, a key figure in the group, during an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.
By mid-morning, the exchange of fire appeared to have subsided, with both sides claiming to have targeted only military positions. The strikes in Lebanon resulted in at least three fatalities, while no casualties were reported in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the Cabinet, stated that the military had neutralized “thousands of rockets” aimed at northern Israel.
Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was due to speak on the “latest developments” at 6:00 pm (8.30pm IST).
Meanwhile, at least 40,405 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and 93,468 others injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since October 7, said the Gaza Health Ministry.
In the last 24-hours, 71 were killed and 112 were injured in what the ministry called three “massacres” by Israel in the strip.