“Baseless”: Hezbollah dismisses Israel’s claims of preemptive action

Beirut (Quds News Network)- Hezbollah has dismissed Israel’s claims on its “preemptive actions” after launching a series of intense airstrikes on southern Lebanon early on Sunday, saying such claims “are baseless and contradict the facts on the ground.”

Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes on southern Lebanon early on Sunday in what it said was a “preemptive” attack.

Israel’s Army Radio, citing war officials, said the military assessed that Hezbollah had been preparing to fire hundreds of missiles into central Israel in an attack planned for 5am.

Around 100 Israeli jets then foiled the missile strikes, beginning their attack half an hour beforehand, the report said.

“Most of these launchers were aimed toward northern Israel and some were aimed toward central Israel” the Israeli military said in a statement.

More than 40 launch sites were attacked, it added.

Hezbollah said it has completed the “first phase” of the retaliatory attack on Israel with “a large number of missiles” in response to Israel’s killing of its commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut in July.

The group added “all offensive drones were launched at specific times from all of their sites” and that they crossed the border into Israel “towards their intended targets from multiple routes”.“Thus, our military operation for today has been completed,” it said.

Hezbollah said that Israel’s claims on its “preemptive actions, the targets it allegedly hit and its supposed disruption of the Resistance’s attack are baseless and contradict the facts on the ground”.

The Lebanese group noted more details would be provided in a speech by Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, later today.