BEIRUT — Lebanese group Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones deep into Israel as part of the “first phase” of its response to Tel Aviv's assassination of its senior commander, Fouad Shukr.

The announcement came shortly after the Israeli army carried out a large-scale airstrike on southern Lebanon, which it described as a "preemptive strike," claiming to have thwarted Hezbollah's planned attack.

In a statement, Hezbollah declared that “the first stage of our response to Shukr's assassination has been successfully completed."

The group detailed that this initial phase involved targeting Israeli military barracks and sites to facilitate the passage of offensive drones towards deep targets within Israel. According to Hezbollah, these drones successfully reached their intended destinations.

Hezbollah dismissed Israeli claims of carrying out “preemptive strikes” as "empty" and inconsistent with the situation on the ground. The group stated that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah would address these claims in a speech later on Sunday.

Hezbollah also listed 11 Israeli military sites it claims to have targeted, including bases such as Meron, Zaatoun, Al-Sahl, Nafah, Yarden, and Ein Zeitim, as well as the Kela, UF, Ramot Naftali, Neve Ziv, and Zarura camps in northern Israel.

The group added that the drone attack coincided with rocket strikes on several Israeli military sites, barracks, and Iron Dome missile defense systems in northern Israel.

In response, the Israeli army stated that it had launched preemptive strikes in southern Lebanon to prevent the Hezbollah barrage. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed that the operation involved 100 fighter jets and was intended to thwart an imminent missile and rocket attack on northern and central Israel.

"We have recently detected preparations by Hezbollah to launch rockets and missiles towards Israel. As a result, we are attacking to eliminate the threat,” the army said in a statement.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, that Israeli airstrikes had thwarted Hezbollah's attacks. According to Israeli media, Gallant also declared a 48-hour emergency in the country.

Since October 8, 2023, Hezbollah has engaged in daily exchanges of fire with the Israeli army across the Lebanese-Israeli border, resulting in hundreds of casualties, mostly on the Lebanese side.

This escalation is set against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 40,300 Palestinians since last Oct. 7, following a Hamas attack. The conflict has devastated much of the Gaza territory, leaving its population homeless, hungry, and vulnerable to disease. — Agencies