Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced in the early hours of today (Monday) that it had targeted the Israeli military’s missile defense facility Mishmal al-Karmel, south of the city of Haifa, with a swarm of specific missiles and drones.
The party said in a statement that the operation took place between Sunday and Monday (March 2, 2026), stressing that the targets were “revenge” for the killing of Iranian guide Ali Khamenei, “to protect Lebanon and its people” and as part of a response to repeated attacks by Israel.
“Warning response” and “right to defend”
The statement said the continued assassinations and attacks give the party “the right to respond at the appropriate time and place,” adding that Israel “cannot continue its 15-month invasion unless it receives a warning response to stop this aggression and withdraw from occupied territory in Lebanon.”
He stressed that the operation was a “legitimate defensive response” and called for an end to what he called “Israeli-American aggression against Lebanon.”
Israel responds with widespread attacks
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had been monitoring missile launches from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel before launching heavy raids targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs.
“We will not allow the organization to threaten the State of Israel or harm civilians in northern Israel,” he said in a statement, adding that the missile launches prompted attacks on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.
Escalation to wider possibilities
The exchange of strikes between the two countries reflects a new escalation on the Lebanese front in light of rising tensions in the region, raising questions about the scope of the standoff in the coming days.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced early today (Monday) that it had targeted the Israeli military’s missile defense facility Mishmal HaCarmel south of Haifa with a swarm of precision missiles and drones.
The party said in a statement that the operation was carried out between Sunday and Monday (March 2, 2026), and asserted that the targets were “in retaliation” for the killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and “to protect Lebanon and its people” as part of a response to what it called repeated Israeli aggression.
“Warning reaction” and “right to defend”
The statement said that the continued assassinations and invasions give the party “the right to respond at the appropriate time and place,” adding that Israel “cannot continue its 15-month-old invasion unless it receives a warning response to stop this aggression and withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territory.”
He stressed that the operation was a “legitimate defensive response” and called for an end to what he called “Israeli and American aggression against Lebanon.”
Israel responds with a large-scale attack
In contrast, the Israeli military said it had detected rocket fire from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel before launching heavy airstrikes targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs.
In response to the shelling, the government said in a statement that it had launched attacks on targets belonging to Hezbollah across Lebanon, vowing: “We will not allow the organization to pose a threat to the State of Israel or harm civilians in northern Israel.”
Open escalation that opens up a wider range of possibilities
The exchange of strikes between the two countries reflects a new escalation on the Lebanese front amid rising regional tensions, raising questions about the scope of the standoff in the coming days.
