BREAKING: Israel Declares 48-Hour Emergency as Hezbollah Retaliates After IDF Strikes on Lebanon

New Delhi: An emergency situation has been declared in Israel for to days as Middle East tensions continues to flare up in the wake Israel's pre-emptive strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared an emergency situation in the country for the next 48 hours.

This developement comes as Hezbollah retaliated the Israeli assault and fired over 150 projectiles from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. Claiming responsibility for the attack, Hezbollah said that it initiated the strike as a response to the killing of its military commander, Fuad Shukr.

Earlier in the day, The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday, August 25, carried out preemptive strikes on Lebanon, to mitigate the looming threat from Iran-backed terror outfit Hezbollah. The IDF called it a 'self-defence act'.

Israel launched 40 air-to-surface missiles against the terror outfit in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military said that it was a step to mitigate the looming threat from Iran-backed terror outfit Hezbollah. The (IDF) stated that they detected that Hezbollah  "was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians.”

In a video message posted on X, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated, “In a self-defence act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians.”

It is learnt that the residents in the areas of southern Lebanon, from where Ian-backed group Hezbollah operates, were warned of the strikes beforehand and asked to “leave immediately.”

Flight Services in Tel Aviv Hit

Meanwhile, in the wake of the airstrikes, flight services at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport were impacted.

As per media repots, flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport have been suspended. The airport began diverting incoming flights and delaying others due to takeoff Sunday after the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.

Sources said, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently heading a high-level meeting at an undisclosed location to address the escalating situation in the north.