Israel and Hezbollah exchange heavy fire in major escalation of Mideast tensions – POLITICO

Israel’s airstrike on Lebanon Sunday left at least three people dead, though the full extent of the casualties and damage is still impossible to determine, the Associated Press reported.

Sunday’s strikes represent the biggest exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the hostilities began in the wake of the Hamas militant group’s raid on Israel last October and the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip that followed.

“We are determined to do everything possible to defend our country, to return the residents of the north safely to their homes and to continue to uphold a simple rule: Whoever harms us — we harm him,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Sunday morning.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military “acted after definitively identifying a large-scale planned attack of missiles and drones by the Hezbollah terrorist organization against targets in Israel.” Katz has been in contact dozens of foreign ministers worldwide to shore up support for Israel in its fight against Hezbollah, he wrote on X.

Hezbollah issued a statement saying Sunday’s military operation has been successfully completed, according to local media. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah plans to address this morning’s strikes in a televised session Sunday evening.