Israel said the strikes were meant to prevent a large attack from Hezbollah, while the terror group said its operation is complete.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Sunday issued a security alert for Israel as the country’s military confirmed it carried out strikes overnight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which returned fire.
Israel said the strikes were meant to prevent a large attack from Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, prompting it to respond by firing rockets and drones on Israeli military positions as an initial response to the killing of Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.
In a security bulletin, the embassy warned that American citizens should exercise “caution and increased personal security awareness,” including knowing the location of the nearest shelter.
“Mortar and rocket fire and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) intrusions … often take place without any warning,” the bulletin stated. “The security environment is complex and can change quickly, and the Israeli Homefront Command can change the guidance in response to the security situation.”
The bulletin noted that U.S. government employees and family members who are in the country might be restricted from traveling to certain locations in Israel, including Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank.
The U.S. Embassy added it may “also order U.S. government employees and their family members to shelter in place.”
In the meantime, Israel already had announced flights from its Ben Gurion Airport would be delayed until 10 a.m. local time. Air raid sirens were reported throughout northern Israel, and Israel’s Home Front Command raised the alert level across northern Israel before later lifting restrictions in most areas.
According to tracking website FlightAware, as of Sunday morning, several dozen flights at Ben Gurion Airport were canceled or delayed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on social media that Israel found that Hezbollah was making preparations to attack. “In consensus with the Defense Minister and the [Israeli Defense Force] Chief-of-Staff, we directed the IDF initiate action to eliminate the threat,” he said.
