Israeli Army: We Destroyed 1000 Ready-to-Launch Hezbollah Rockets

On Thursday night, September 29, the Israeli army announced that its fighter jets targeted "hundreds of rockets" ready for immediate launch towards Israel. In a statement on its Telegram channel detailing the air operations against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, the Israeli army reported that approximately 100 rocket launchers and other military infrastructure, including around 1000 rockets that were ready for immediate launch, were attacked. Three Lebanese security officials told Reuters that this was the "heaviest airstrikes since the beginning of the conflict" last October. Reports indicate that dozens of airstrikes were conducted by Israel within two hours. The Lebanese state news agency reported that the number of these attacks in southern Lebanon exceeded 50, and that the Israeli army's operations took place after 9 PM local time. Reuters also noted that there have been no reports of casualties following the Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli army committed to continuing its attacks against Hezbollah, a group supported by the Islamic Republic. Hours before announcing the destruction of 1000 Hezbollah rockets, the Israeli army stated that it was executing a new wave of extensive airstrikes against this group's targets in southern Lebanon to eliminate Hezbollah's capabilities. On Thursday, September 29, while announcing these extensive airstrikes, the Israeli army added that in addition to aiming to achieve all "other military objectives," it wanted to ensure security in the northern part of the country so that residents of these areas could return to their homes. The Israeli airstrikes followed the widespread explosion of Hezbollah's pager and wireless devices on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 27 and 28, which resulted in at least 37 deaths and over 3,000 injuries. While the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, along with the Islamic Republic and Hamas, another Tehran-backed group, have accused Israel of these actions, the country has neither confirmed nor denied it. Following the unprecedented "security and military blow" to Hezbollah from the deadly explosions of the communication devices of its members, the Israeli Defense Minister announced the start of a "new phase of war". Simultaneously, the United States and France emphasized the need to avoid tensions in the Middle East. Yoav Galant stated that this "new phase of war" entails "significant opportunities as well as heavy risks." According to him, Hezbollah feels that it is being pursued, and Israeli military operations will continue. Hezbollah was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both as terrorist entities. Iranian proxies in Iraq are concerned about similar attacks on Hezbollah. A brief visit by the U.S. Secretary of State to France resulted in a multilateral meeting related to the Middle East. Blinken stated that he seeks restraint in the region, especially in Lebanon. Nasrallah acknowledged the severe military and security damage inflicted on Hezbollah, calling it unprecedented in history.