The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck Hezbollah targets after the Iranian proxy terrorist group fired missiles at the northern Israeli city of Haifa. Hezbollah’s attack is a declaration of war after the IDF eliminated the Iranian dictator and its top paymaster, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an airstrike.
“The IDF said it carried out targeted strikes early Monday against senior Hezbollah figures across Lebanon in response to rocket fire toward the Haifa area as the war with Iran intensified,” Israel’s Ynetnews reported.
The IDF is conducting a large-scale operation, hitting Hezbollah’s command structure, terrorist fighters, and military capabilities.
(Writer’s note: Initial media reports suggesting elimination of Hezbollah no. 2, Mohammad Raad, turned out to be incorrect.)
The military “launched a first broad wave of strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon, targeting senior operatives, headquarters, and terrorist infrastructure,” Chief of the IDF Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo announced early Monday morning. “The strikes continue — their intensity will increase.”
Reuters confirmed Israeli strikes on the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiya, near the Lebanese capital, Beirut. According to the news outlet, “Israel carried out air strikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, with more than a dozen explosions rocking the Lebanese capital.” The Dahiya area is riddled with bunkers and hideouts that shelter Hezbollah commanders and jihadist fighters.
The Jerusalem Post reported Monday morning:
The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary faction, Mohammad Raad, was reportedly killed during IDF strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath reported on Monday morning.The IDF’s precision strikes were carried out in retaliation after Hezbollah launched several projectiles towards northern Israel overnight.The IDF stated it had struck several senior Hezbollah terrorists in Beirut and a “central Hezbollah terrorist” in southern Lebanon, but did not confirm the names of targets.
Shortly after the terrorist group struck, the IDF announced that it “has begun striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon.”
“In response to Hezbollah’s projectile fire toward the State of Israel, the IDF is currently striking Hezbollah targets,” the Israeli military said in a statement early Monday morning. “The Hezbollah terrorist organization is operating on behalf of the Iranian regime, opening fire against the State of Israel and its civilians.”
The Israeli armed forces have been preparing for this very scenario. After Hezbollah refused to disarm, ignoring the December 31 deadline set by the Trump administration, the IDF began targeting the terror group’s military buildup in southern Lebanon: eliminating terrorist fighters and dismantling their infrastructure along the Israeli border.
“Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight, and is fully responsible for any escalation,” IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. General Eyal Zamir said. “IDF troops have prepared for such a scenario as part of standard combat preparations for Operation ‘Roaring Lion’.”
As the Operation Epic Fury enters its third day, the Israeli Air Force launched another wave of strikes on Iranian regime targets in the early morning hours on Monday, the IDF revealed.
The Israeli military, in a brief statement on Monday morning, said that it “continues to carry out large-scale strikes against targets of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran.”
Citing an “Initial report”, the IDF informed that the “Air Force, guided by IDF intelligence, has begun an additional wave of strikes against the Iranian terror regime at the heart of Tehran.”
In the first wave of airstrikes that took place on Saturday morning, the IDF successfully eliminated almost the entire military leadership of Iran, including the chief of the terrorist Islamic Guard (IRGC) and the head of the armed forces.
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