Hezbollah, Israel exchange fire following attack from Palestinian militants

Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah and Israel exchanged fire Sunday — one day after Palestinian militants launched a deadly surprise attack in Israel — leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured.

Hezbollah said Sunday that it fired off guided rockets and artillery in the Shebaa Farms to show they stand “in solidarity” with the Palestinian people, Reuters reported. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that IDF “struck targets in the area” after Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, fired rockets into Israel. 

The IDF also said that one of its drones struck Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the Mount Dov area, according to its post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

“The IDF has taken preparational measures for this type of possibility. We will continue to operate in all regions and at any time necessary to ensure the safety of the Israeli civilians,” the IDF said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, according to Reuters.

In a surprise move, Palestine militant group Hamas launched a multipronged attack on Israel on Saturday with a barrage of missile strikes and entered Israel, holding citizens and military members hostage, which led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the group. There are at least 250 Israelis dead and more than 300 Palestinians killed so far in Israel’s retaliatory measures.

Later that day, the prime minister vowed to destroy Hamas and avenge those left dead and injured.

“What happened today is unprecedented in Israel, and I will see to it that it does not happen again,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew in a televised address. “The entire government is behind this decision. The IDF will immediately use all its strength to destroy Hamas’s capabilities.”