‘IDF eliminated thousands of rockets after identifying Hezbollah’s plans to attack Israel,’ says Netanyahu, vowing IDF will ‘harm whoever harms us.’

By The IDF Club

Israeli forces are confronting multiple threats “both defensively and offensively,” after the IDF launched a pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah rocket and missile launchers preparing to fire on strategic targets in Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

At 4:45 a.m. Sunday, some 100 Israeli warplanes began striking Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, destroying thousands of rockets and missiles.

Shortly afterwards, Hezbollah terrorists launched some 320 rockets and drone aircraft towards 11 sites across Israel, the terror group claimed in a statement Sunday morning.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the opening of a security cabinet meeting at IDF headquarters in the Kiryat in Tel Aviv Sunday morning that Israel struck Hezbollah after Israeli intelligence warned of an impending attack.

“This morning we identified Hezbollah preparations to attack Israel. In consensus with the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief-of-Staff, we directed the IDF initiate action to eliminate the threat,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli premier added that in addition to its strikes on Hezbollah’s missile and rocket launching capabilities, the IDF is also “thwarting many other threats,” without providing details regarding the threats or Israel’s responses to them.

“Since then, the IDF has been taking strong action to foil the threats. It has eliminated thousands of rockets that were aimed at northern Israel. It is thwarting many other threats and is taking very strong action – both defensively and offensively.”

“We are determined to do everything to defend our country, to return the residents of the north securely to their homes and to continue upholding a simple rule:  Whoever harms us – we will harm them.”

Hezbollah claimed its attacks Sunday were in retaliation for last month’s IDF airstrike in Beirut which killed senior Hezbollah terrorist Fuad Shukr.

The Iranian-backed terror group vowed to avenge Shukr’s death, with Iran also threatening to attack Israel after Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh died in an explosion in his Tehran vacation home a day after the Beirut strike.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog tweeted that Sunday’s pre-emptive attack “epitomizes Israel’s right and duty to defend itself and its citizens against the threat of terrorism.‬”

‪”This is once again an opportunity to express our gratitude and support for our daughters and sons in the Israel Defense Forces, as well as in the security, emergency, and rescue services, for their relentless efforts across all battlefronts.”

“Their immense sacrifices and personal costs in thwarting the malicious acts of our enemies and in defending the State of Israel and its citizens deserve our deepest thanks. I hug all of them with deep gratitude!‬”