Israel and Hezbollah exchange attacks, retreat, shocking region amid Gaza ceasefire talks

What you need to know about the Israeli-Hezbollah firefight

Israel and Hezbollah militias launched their heaviest exchange of artillery fire after months of attacks and counterattacks. The fire appeared to have stopped by Sunday morning, with both sides saying they were only targeting military targets. Lebanese authorities said three people were killed in the Israeli attack, while Israel said one soldier was killed. President Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and Lebanon. “At the President’s direction, senior U.S. officials are in ongoing contact with their Israeli counterparts,” National Security Council spokesman Sean Sabet said in a statement.

The current situation is as follows:

What happened early Sunday morning?

The situation between Israel and Hezbollah militants remains tense, and a gunfight between the two sides early Sunday morning threatened to trigger a wider regional war that could undermine ongoing efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Israeli military said about 100 warplanes had launched airstrikes targeting thousands of rocket launchers across southern Lebanon, as it said Hezbollah was planning to launch a barrage of rockets and missiles at Israel. Soon after, Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli military positions with a swarm of drones, after the Iranian-backed group had promised retaliation weeks ago. Israeli assassination Fouad Shukr, one of the group’s founding members, spoke in Beirut last month.

By mid-morning, the fighting appeared to have ended. At least three people were killed in the attack in Lebanon, Israel said, including Petty Officer First Class David Moshe Ben Shitrit, 21, who was killed in northern Israel. Two other soldiers suffered “light and moderate injuries,” Israel said.

“Around 90 percent of the targets struck were short-range rockets aimed at northern Israel,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement on Sunday, adding that “Hezbollah was planning to harm Israeli civilians.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting that the army had cleared “thousands of rockets aimed at northern Israel” and urged citizens to follow the orders of the civil war command.

“We are determined to do everything in our power to protect our country, to get northerners back to their homes safely and to stick to a simple rule: we will harm those who harm us,” he said.

What was involved in the attack?

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Hezbollah intended to strike targets in northern and central Israel. He said initial assessments showed “very little damage” in Israel but that the military remained on high alert. He said about 100 Israeli aircraft took part in Sunday’s strikes.

“Hezbollah was able to launch around 230 rockets and more than 20 drones,” Hagari said Sunday. “Most of them either fell on their way to Israeli territory, landed in open areas or were intercepted by Israeli air force defense systems or Israeli navy ships.”

Hezbollah said the attack involved more than 320 Katyusha rockets and a “large number” of drones aimed at facilities inside Israel. It said the operation targeted “high-quality Israeli targets that will be announced later,” as well as “enemy installations, barracks and Iron Dome (missile defence) platforms.”

Hezbollah later said the first phase of its retaliatory strikes was over, opening the door for further attacks deeper into Israel, but later said in a statement that “today’s military operation is completed.”

Air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel and the Israel Airports Authority temporarily suspended flights to and from Ben Gurion International Airport due to the threat of attacks. Flights to Ben Gurion were diverted to other airports.

Israel’s Home Front Command raised the alert level in northern Israel and urged people to stay near bomb shelters.

Concerns have been growing in recent weeks the The war between Israel and Hamas Following Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, there is a possibility that this could escalate into a regional conflict. Kill Shukruand a Hamas leader was killed in a suspected Israeli assassination operation in Iran. Ismail Haniya.

Earlier this month, White House national security spokesman John Kirby The U.S. said it was prepared Iran and its proxies could strike in retaliation for these assassinations.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the guided missile submarine USS Georgia, carrying F-35 fighter jets. Recently Deployed In response, we went to the Middle East.

Diplomacy continues to ease tensions as ceasefire talks continue

The attack was carried out by delegations from the United States, Israel, Qatar and Egypt. New ceasefire talks underway in Cairo.

National Security Council spokesman Sean Sabet said Biden was “closely monitoring” the situation in Israel and Lebanon and had been coordinating with his national security team throughout the night.

“At his direction, senior U.S. officials are in ongoing contact with their Israeli counterparts,” Sabet said. “We continue to support Israel’s right to self-defense and will continue to work for stability in the region.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed Israel’s defense with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. Austin also ordered two aircraft carrier strike groups to remain in the region, the Pentagon said Sunday.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown, is touring the region and is due to visit Israel, Egypt and Jordan.

U.S. officials said the U.S. military was not involved in any preemptive Israeli strikes against Hezbollah.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said: said On “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” he said he believed “the success of yesterday’s operation has prevented an escalation into a major war.”

“We still need reconciliation with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon,” Herzog said. “They followed Hamas into a war with Israel on October 8 and have been firing thousands of rockets at Israel ever since. We are giving diplomacy a chance and hope it will work.”

With both Israel and Hezbollah publicly claiming success and initial assessments that the backlash from the strikes has been contained, the US is hoping that both sides will stop escalating tensions, and Israeli officials also told CBS News that Hezbollah appears to be deterred.

Multiple sources in the region told CBS News that the US, Qatar, Israel and all relevant forces are currently sending messages of de-escalation to both Hezbollah and Iran. Three sources told CBS that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is currently scheduled to visit Tehran on Monday to update Iranian leaders on the ongoing diplomacy regarding Gaza and to dissuade potential Iranian attacks against Israel.

The attack does not disrupt diplomatic talks in Cairo, where the U.S. and Egypt are trying to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. CIA Director William Burns and President Biden’s top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, remain in Cairo to negotiate the details of how to implement a possible hostage and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel. An Israeli official confirmed that an Israeli delegation is scheduled to participate today as well.

Qatar and Egypt are acting as intermediaries with Hamas because the US is prohibited by law from negotiating directly with the terror group, but regional officials confirmed to CBS News that Hamas’ Doha-based political leadership has sent a senior delegation, led by Khalil Haya, to Cairo.

Haya served as head of Hamas’ negotiating team under Ismail Haniyeh until Israel assassinated him a few weeks ago. The physical presence of the political delegations in the same building helps diplomats get to the meat of the negotiations, but all parties agree that the actual decision-maker remains Yahya Sinwar, who commands from underground in Gaza.

The proposed agreement includes a six-week cessation of violence, an exchange of the most vulnerable prisoners, including Americans, the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody and a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The first phase of the agreement would see continued talks on a permanent ceasefire. The agreement is the centerpiece of the Biden administration’s strategy to reduce tensions well beyond the 25-mile border of the Gaza Strip.

Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.

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