Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to assess the impact of his group’s rocket and drone attack on Israeli military targets before deciding on further action. Speaking on Sunday, Nasrallah said, “We will assess the impact of today’s operation. If results are not seen to be enough, we will respond another time.” The statement came approximately 12 hours after the most intense exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel since hostilities escalated alongside the Gaza war. The attacks, which included over 300 Katyusha rockets and drones launched from the eastern Bekaa Valley, were a retaliation for Israel’s killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last month. Nasrallah claimed that none of the drone or rocket launchers were damaged in Israel’s pre-emptive strikes. Israel and Hezbollah both claimed that their targets were exclusively military.
Israel’s military reported the death of one navy soldier and the wounding of two others, either by an interceptor for incoming fire or shrapnel. The groups reported the deaths of two Hezbollah fighters and a terrorist from an allied group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the military had neutralized thousands of rockets aimed at northern Israel and destroyed drones headed toward the country’s center. “I repeat — this is not the end of the story,” he added.
Meanwhile, the UK has urged restraint in the Middle East following the most significant exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the beginning of the Gaza war. “Further escalation in the Middle East must be avoided at all costs,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated on X (formerly Twitter), following a call with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. “I reiterated the UK’s support for Israel’s security, the importance of restraint, the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.”
