JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire early Sunday, but both sides backed away from provoking a widely feared all-out war as the two sides signaled the end of the most intense firefight in months.
The cross-border attack came as high-level talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Egypt on a ceasefire. War in Gaza It will also reduce regional tensions.
Hezbollah said it hit an Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv with a barrage of hundreds of rockets and drones, and Israel said its strikes were preemptive to avoid a major attack. No evidence is provided.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the attack was in retaliation Israel kills a top militant commander Last month in Beirut, Gaza delayed giving a chance to cease-fire talks so pro-Iranian groups could discuss whether to simultaneously attack Israel with Iran. Israeli and US military deployments also played a role.
“We now reserve the right to respond later” if the results of Sunday’s offensive are not enough, Nasrallah said, adding that Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Iran have yet to respond. But he told the Lebanese people: “At this current stage, the country can take a breath and rest.”
The Israeli military said a spy base near Tel Aviv was not hit.
Israel and Hezbollah said they only targeted military targets. Israel’s military said one soldier was killed along with the navy, and two others were wounded either by intercepting incoming fire or by shrapnel. Two Hezbollah fighters and one allied fighter were killed, the groups said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had intercepted thousands of rockets aimed at northern Israel and shot down drones headed toward the center of the country.
“I repeat – this is not the end of the story,” he said.
Planes were diverted as air raid sirens blared
Air raid sirens were reported across northern Israel, and Israel’s international airport was closed and flights diverted for about an hour. Israel’s Home Front Command later lifted restrictions in most areas.
Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Hezbollah intended to attack targets in northern and central Israel but that initial assessments showed “very little damage.” About 100 Israeli planes took part in the strikes, he said.
Hezbollah said its attack involved more than 320 Katyusha rockets and a “large number” of drones targeting several sites in Israel.
Some Israelis were shocked. In the northern city of Acre, retired teacher Sadia Even Tzur, 76, said she was at the synagogue when her bedroom was damaged and came home five minutes later. “I went up and saw the extent of the miracle that had happened to me,” he said. A window was broken and his bed was littered with debris.
Lebanon’s conservative Economy Minister Amin Salam said after an emergency government meeting that officials were “a little too optimistic” about slowing the expansion. “We feel very relieved that both parties have confirmed that the expected proceedings have been concluded,” he said.
President Joe Biden has been “closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon,” said Sean Chavet, a spokesman for the National Security Council. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, the Pentagon said. Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown continued a regional visit that included Israel, Egypt and Jordan.
All-out war was avoided for now
Danny Citrinowicz, an expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Hezbollah may be trying to “balance the equation without turning into a war.” Each side hopes their story will be enough to declare victory and avoid a wider conflict, he said.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel soon after the war in Gaza began, prompted by Hamas’ October 7 offensive in southern Israel. Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire almost daily, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border.
Hezbollah is believed to have fought a standoff with Israel in 2006 Very powerful Now. The United States and Israel estimate that they have about 150,000 rockets capable of striking anywhere inside Israel. The group has developed drones and precision-guided munitions capable of evading Israel’s defenses.
Israel has promised a crushing response to any major Hezbollah attack. It has an extensive multi-layered missile defense system and is backed by a US-led coalition that helped shoot down hundreds of missiles and drones launched from Iran earlier this year. There was the US Army Builds its forces across the region in recent weeks.
Hezbollah is a close ally of Iran He also threatened to retaliate against Israel For the killing of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Israel did not say whether it was involved.
Iranian state media on Sunday reported the Hezbollah attack, calling it a success, but there was no immediate comment from Iranian officials.
The United States and other mediators see a cease-fire in Gaza as key to avoiding a wider Middle East war. Hezbollah has said it will stop attacks on Israel if a ceasefire is reached.
Egypt is targeting high-level talks in Cairo on Sunday Reduce gaps A ceasefire and a plan to release Hamas prisoners. The talks included CIA director William Burns and David Barnia, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
Hamas sent a delegation to mediate through Egyptian and Qatari mediators but did not directly participate in the talks.
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Associated Press writers Karim Sehayeb in Beirut, Melanie Littman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sami Magti in Cairo, Alexis Tribulard in Acre, Israel, and Amar Madani in Buellton, California contributed.
