Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced a 48-hour nationwide state of emergency from 06:00 am (0300 GMT) Sunday, after the Israeli military launched what it called pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon.
“The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF (Israeli military) to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant,” Gallant said, in a statement issued by his office.
Following a significant onslaught by Hezbollah, Israel’s skies are booming as rockets rip through the atmosphere. On August 25, the organization launched 320 Katyusha rockets against 11 Israeli military positions as payback for the murder of their commander, Fuad Shukr. The initial phase of the attack has been deemed successful by the extremist group based in Lebanon.
In a “initial response” to the death of a prominent leader, Lebanon-based Hezbollah declared on Sunday that it will launch numerous rockets and drones against Israel. This came after the Israeli military declared that it was conducting a series of preemptive operations against the organization.
Weeks after Hezbollah and Iran pledged to retaliate against an Israeli assault in Beirut that killed a top commander of the group and the assassination of Hamas’s political leader in Tehran, both of which were attributed to Israel, the Middle East has been on edge.
