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Israel foils Hezbollah missile attack, says ‘Thank God for Iron Dome’ | Watch

Posted on by angelo
Israel foils Hezbollah missile attack, says ‘Thank God for Iron Dome’ | Watch

In a message posted on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Israel thanked its “Iron Dome” defense mechanism for its ability to withstand missiles launched by Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Posting a video on X, Israel’s official account wrote: “Thank God for the Iron Dome.”

Israel, Hezbollah engage in major missile exchange

Reuters described the attack as visible smoke from the missiles “rising into the sky at dawn, with dark steam trails behind them.” The agency added that an air raid siren sounded in Israel and that “a distant explosion lit up the horizon, smoke rising above homes in Khiam, southern Lebanon.”

Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones toward Israel early on August 24 (Sunday), Reuters reported. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck Lebanon with about 100 jets “to thwart a larger attack,” it added.

It is one of the largest clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in more than 10 months.

“I’m happy to avoid escalation, but…”

So far, three deaths have been confirmed in Lebanon and one in Israel in the recent fire. Reuters noted that while both sides have “indicated they are happy to avoid further escalation,” warnings have also been issued of “further strikes” in the future.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the Iran-backed group’s bombing, in retaliation for the killing of senior commander Fuad Shukr last month, had gone “as planned.”

The group will, however, assess the impact of its strikes and “if the result is not sufficient, we reserve the right to react another time,” he said.

Israel’s foreign minister said the country was not seeking a full-scale war, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “This is not the end of the story.”

He had previously said: “We are determined to do everything we can to defend our country… whoever hurts us, we hurt them.”

Expectations of an escalation have grown since a missile strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights last month killed 12 youths and the Israeli military assassinated Shukr in Beirut in response.

Gaza ceasefire at a standstill

Meanwhile, no ceasefire agreement has yet been reached in Gaza despite negotiations in Cairo, Egypt. Israel and Hamas have rejected several compromises presented by the mediators.

However, a senior U.S. official called the talks “constructive” and said the process would continue in the coming days.

The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden was closely monitoring events. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by the escalation, according to his spokesman. Egypt and Jordan have also warned of an escalation.

(With contributions from Reuters)