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Israel hits 12 Hezbollah command centers in Beirut

Hezbollah escalated its rocket attacks on Israel on Sunday, with some 250 rockets triggering more than 540 alarms across northern and central Israel, wounding at least eight people and damaging several structures.

By Joshua Marks, JNS

The Israeli Air Force struck a dozen Hezbollah command centers in the Iranian terror proxy’s stronghold in Dahieh south of Beirut on Sunday night, according to the military.

Targets included operations hubs of Hezbollah’s intelligence unit, coast-to-sea missile unit and Unit 4400, which is responsible for the terrorist group’s weapons smuggling into Lebanon from Iran via Syria.

“These command centers had been used by Hezbollah to plan, command, and execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and to monitor terrorist activity against IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

“The strikes are an important part of the IDF’s ongoing efforts to degrade Hezbollah’s capability to execute terrorist attacks against Israel,” it continued.

The IDF emphasized that despite Hezbollah deliberately putting Lebanese civilians in danger by placing its terror infrastructure in residential neighborhoods, the military took many precautions before conducting the strikes to minimize harm to noncombatants, including issuing warnings in advance.

Hezbollah fired 250 rockets at Israel on Sunday

Hezbollah escalated its rocket attacks on Israel throughout the day on Sunday, with some 250 rockets triggering more than 540 alarms across northern and central Israel, wounding at least eight people, damaging structures, and sending hundreds of thousands running for shelters.

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Gen. Rafi Milo, head of the IDF Home Front Command, told reporters at a rocket impact site in Haifa on Sunday evening that it had been a “challenging day.”

Milo stressed that “the resilience and steadfast strength of the home front enable the IDF to continue operating, striking and hitting our targets— we will persist and continue to do so.”

The rocket-fire continued on Monday morning, with alerts in northern Israel’s western and upper Galilee areas. The IDF said that 20 rockets were launched from Lebanon, with some intercepted and impacts identified.

A 75-year-old man was evacuated to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya with light shrapnel wounds to the head from a missile interceptor fragment, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service.

His condition was mild, and he remained fully conscious, according to MDA.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces operating in Southern Lebanon are intensifying efforts to neutralize Hezbollah’s rocket-launching capabilities, according to the military.

On Monday morning, the IDF reported that troops had uncovered significant stockpiles of weaponry and dismantled numerous armed launchers aimed at communities in the Galilee region.

IDF forces in southern Lebanon

IDF forces operating in southern Lebanon. (IDF)

Over the past 24 hours, the IAF targeted several Hezbollah launchers, including those used in Sunday’s rocket attacks on the Haifa Bay and Sharon areas.

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Additionally, Israeli airstrikes struck dozens of Hezbollah positions across southern and central Lebanon, including command centers and weapons storage facilities.

Escalation may continue as ceasefire deal gets closer

Israeli officials predict that as ceasefire negotiations with Lebanon advance, the intensity of Hezbollah’s rocket fire will likely escalate.

Sources in Jerusalem told Channel 12 News: “We are navigating a complex situation, but it should not be assessed based solely on today’s attacks. We expected that the closer we get [to an agreement], the more launches we would face, with Hezbollah intensifying its assaults—particularly in response to our operations in Lebanon. From the beginning, we acknowledged that the negotiations would take place under fire.”

car rocket

A car that got directly hit by a Hezbollah rocket in Petah Tikva, central Israel. (Twitter Screenshot)

Hebrew media reported Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a consultation on Sunday night with Defense Minister Israel Katz and other senior security officials to discuss the Lebanon ceasefire efforts.

“We are close to an agreement. It could happen within days; a few details remain to be finalized,” Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog told Israel’s Army Radio on Monday morning.

Among the remaining gaps between the sides is Jerusalem’s demand that the IDF maintain freedom of action in Lebanon should Hezbollah violate the terms of the ceasefire by rearming itself and attempting to reestablish forces south of the Litani River.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Dan Shapiro was expected to arrive in the Jewish state on Monday to meet with Katz and other senior officials.

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A central item on the agenda will be addressing Israeli concerns regarding immediate operational cooperation and safeguarding the military’s freedom of action.

Shapiro’s visit to Israel follows that of U.S. presidential envoy Amos Hochstein last week and Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), over the weekend.

Negotiators are working out the framework for an international enforcement mechanism to ensure that Hezbollah does not reestablish itself in Southern Lebanon.

Recent diplomatic efforts have aimed at minimizing situations where Israel will violate Lebanese sovereignty in response to a breach of the agreement. The goal is to empower the international monitoring mechanism as much as possible, while establishing clear criteria for when Israel can exercise its military freedom of action.

Kurilla met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on Saturday to discuss the proposed U.S. monitoring mechanism for Lebanese army operations.

Kurilla halevi

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) head Gen. Erik Kurilla meets in Israel with IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, June 2024. (Credit: IDF.)

Under the developing draft agreement, the Lebanese army will be required to conduct a comprehensive operation to remove weapons from villages in Southern Lebanon, with CENTCOM forces overseeing strict enforcement of this process.

One unresolved issue is whether France will be involved in the oversight mechanism, according to Kan News. Beirut supports Paris participating, while Jerusalem opposes it. However, Kan reported that estimates in Israel are that a compromise will be reached on this matter.

Another potential obstacle is that, according to a report in Channel 12, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, must grant final approval for any ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

Meanwhile, Halevi has instructed IDF General Staff directorates to continue developing and finalizing comprehensive operational plans. These plans are intended to address both the potential failure of negotiations and possible breaches of the agreement by Hezbollah—scenarios that could necessitate military action in Lebanese territory.