Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in “self-defense” after identifying missile preparations, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which warned civilians to evacuate immediately while vowing to do “everything… to defend the people of Israel.”

In an announcement on Saturday night (Sunday morning Israel time), Israel’s military spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, confirmed that the IDF has initiated pre-emptive strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in response to imminent missile and rocket threats. 

The military action comes after the IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to launch attacks on Israeli territory. The IDF described the operation as a “self-defense” measure aimed at neutralizing threats against Israeli civilians.

“A short while ago, the IDF identified [the] Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles [and] rockets, towards Israeli territory,” Hagari stated. “In a self-defense 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.”

This military escalation comes in response to the Iranian proxy’s ceaseless targeting of Israeli civilians over the last year, he noted.

“This follows more than 6,700 rockets, missiles and explosive UAVs fired by Hezbollah at Israeli families, homes and communities since October 8,” the IDF spokesperson stated.

The IDF also warned Lebanese civilians in Hezbollah-operated areas to evacuate immediately, as the terror group’s actions are escalating risks for the region.

“From right next to the homes of Lebanese civilians in the south of Lebanon, we can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch an extensive attack on Israel while endangering the Lebanese civilians,” Hagari stated. “We warned the civilians located in the areas where Hezbollah is operating to move out of harm’s way immediately for their own safety.”

“Hezbollah’s ongoing aggression risks dragging the people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, and the whole region into a wider escalation,” he added.

The spokesperson concluded by vowing that Israel “will not tolerate Hezbollah’s attacks on our civilians.” 

“We are operating in self-defense from Hezbollah and any other enemy that joins in their attacks against us,” he added. “And we are ready to do everything — everything we need — to defend the people of Israel.”

The matter comes as Israel continues its efforts to dismantle Hamas in Gaza following the terrorist group’s deadly October 7 attack, the worst massacre against Jewish people since the Holocaust, which killed nearly 1,200 Israelis, wounded over 4,800, and resulted in 241 hostages — of which over half remain in Gaza. The vast majority of the victims are civilians and include dozens of American citizens.

The following day, Hezbollah fired guided rockets and artillery shells at Israel in response to the Israel-Hamas war that began a day earlier. Since then, intensified clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have significantly escalated tensions in the region, with exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border leading to major displacements and fears of an imminent major confrontation between the Iranian-backed terror group and the Jewish state.

As a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and terrorist group, Hezbollah wields significant influence in Lebanon, effectively shaping its political and security landscape, and is often perceived as a state within a state. Its military strength has grown considerably, at times surpassing the capabilities of the Lebanese Army. With support from Iran and political backing from Syria, the group has expanded its activities beyond Lebanon, notably participating in the Syrian Civil War alongside the Assad regime. 

Hezbollah, which has been actively seeking to expand its influence beyond the Middle East, is designated as a terrorist organization by over a dozen countries and international entities, including major Western nations, members of the European Union, and most Arab League member states, due to its involvement in terrorist activities against American, French, Israeli, and other targets.

Consequently, it poses significant security concerns to Israel and has contentious relations with the United States. In 1983, Hezbollah bombed the Beirut Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 American servicemen in what was one of the deadliest pre-9/11 attacks against the U.S. Speaking at a White House event marking the 35th anniversary of the attack in 2018, then President Donald Trump stated that, “No terrorist group other than al Qaeda has more American blood on its hands.”

Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.