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[Text/Observer.com Xiong Chaoran] In the early morning of August 25, local time, Hezbollah in Lebanon launched a large number of rockets and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for the death of its senior military commander Shukur. Israel said that it carried out a "preemptive" attack from the evening of August 24 to the early morning of August 25, local time, using 100 fighter jets to destroy thousands of rocket launchers in Lebanon that were about to be launched, and then intercepted most of the 230 rockets and 20 drones launched by Hezbollah.

According to a report by The Times of Israel on August 25, local time, although Israel claimed to have "thwarted the attack", Hezbollah leader Nasrallah publicly refuted Israel's claim of a "preemptive" action that day. He said that Hezbollah's previous large-scale attack against Israel was "completed as planned" and caused huge damage. He is waiting for confirmation of the "satisfactory results" of the attack and reserves the right to launch another attack at a later time.

Hamas and Yemen's Houthi armed forces, which together with Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah form the so-called "resistance axis", also highly praised the attack. Hamas said that the attack dealt a heavy blow to Israel; the Houthi armed forces said that this proved the strength and commitment of the "resistance axis" and made it clear that they would definitely launch a "separate retaliatory action" against Israel's attack on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah last month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on August 25 that Israel's "preemptive" nighttime attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon was not "the end of the story," as regional and global leaders warned against an escalation into a wider conflict.

Reuters reported that day that Israel and Hezbollah had communicated through "intermediaries" to prevent the situation from escalating further. Israel's Channel 12 said that Israel and the United States were working to ease the situation through diplomatic channels, and Washington supported Israel's response to the attack but warned against sparking a full-scale war.

Hezbollah leader: reserves right to attack again

In the early morning of August 25, local time, the situation between Lebanon and Israel suddenly became tense. The Israeli military announced that it had launched a "preemptive" strike against Hezbollah targets after detecting that Hezbollah was preparing to launch a "large-scale" attack. Hezbollah issued a statement denying this and announced that it had launched a large number of drones and rockets at Israel in retaliation for the Israeli airstrike that killed its military leader Shukur in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut last month. At the same time, it announced that the first phase of the attack was a success.

Later that day, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made a public speech saying that the attack had caused "huge damage" in Israel. He pointed out that the operation was carried out in two stages: first, Hezbollah launched more than 320 Katyusha rockets at 11 different military bases to overwhelm Israel's Iron Dome air defense system, and then launched dozens of drones into central Israel.

The two main targets of the drone strike were the Gilillot base north of Tel Aviv, which houses the IDF's 8200 elite intelligence unit and is adjacent to the Mossad headquarters, and another unspecified military facility located 40 kilometers north of Tel Aviv and 75 kilometers south of the Lebanese border. "According to our intelligence, the drone has hit the target," Nasrallah said, but Israel has not yet acknowledged this.

Nasrallah also insisted that Hezbollah's drones were very close to Tel Aviv, but the operation was only aimed at military targets, not civilian targets. As for Israel's so-called "preemptive action", he said it was just a "night raid" and did not destroy Hezbollah's ballistic missiles. Only "dozens of rocket launchers" of Hezbollah were destroyed.

Nasrallah said that the IDF concealed the actual losses caused by the attack, and Hezbollah will continue to monitor the situation and wait for confirmation of the "satisfactory results" of the attack. In this case, Hezbollah believes that the revenge for the assassination of its military commander Shukur has been completed. If not, it "reserves the right" to launch another attack at a later time.

Nasrallah explained at the beginning of his speech why the retaliation was only now being carried out. He said that the delay in the retaliation was due to the "military mobilization" of Israel and the United States in the region, and that the extended wait for retaliation was also a punishment for Israel, because Israel had been in a state of tension for nearly a month.

The Houthis praised and promised: We will definitely retaliate

In addition, Hezbollah has also been waiting for the results of the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, but as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to add new conditions, "there is no need to wait any longer." Nasrallah explained that next, Hezbollah will observe the reaction of Iran and its regional proxies - will they react at the same time or separately?

He added that Hezbollah's attack was carried out independently of other allies, and that Iran's retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leaders in Tehran last month and Yemen's Houthi armed forces' retaliation for Israel's bombing of Hodeidah port last month have not yet begun, and may take several months to "brew", but he believes that both parties "feel they have an obligation to respond and will definitely respond."

In response to the attack by Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas said, "We emphasize that this strong and concentrated retaliation is a deep blow to the Zionist entity and a slap in the face to the Israeli government."

Yemen's Houthi rebels also congratulated the airstrike, saying it "proved that the 'resistance axis' is capable, strong and trustworthy, and that its promises and threats are serious."

The Houthis also pledged to launch separate attacks against Israel in response to an earlier attack on the Yemeni coastal city of Hodeidah, a day after a Houthi drone killed one person and injured several others in Tel Aviv.

The Houthis said: "We reiterate once again that revenge from Yemen will definitely come."

The United States supports Israel's counterattack and all parties call for not escalating the conflict

On August 25, local time, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his opening remarks at a regular cabinet meeting that after the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah "tried to attack Israel with rockets and drones," he ordered "a powerful preemptive strike to eliminate the threat."

"The IDF intercepted all drones launched by Hezbollah at strategic targets in central Israel," Netanyahu said. "Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step towards changing the situation in the north and putting our residents on the path to return home safely." He added: "I repeat, this is not the end of the story."

Earlier in the day, Israeli Defense Minister Galant discussed the nighttime airstrike in a call with U.S. Defense Secretary Austin, who has ordered two U.S. aircraft carriers and their battle groups to remain in the area, according to Axios.

Israel had given the United States "adequate" advance notice of its pre-dawn strike in Lebanon, according to Israel's Channel 12 television. The report, which did not cite sources, said the White House, in several interactions with Israel, expressed support for action to eliminate specific threats but warned that "anything that could lead to a regional war is not feasible."

Meanwhile, Arab governments, including Lebanon's caretaker government, have warned against further escalation of tensions in the region.

A Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the tensions could lead to a "regional war" and accused Israel of failing to end its "aggression" against the Gaza Strip, putting the region at risk of a wider conflict.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also warned that Lebanon was at risk of a major conflict. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidential office, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said during a meeting with visiting US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles Quinton Brown Jr. that the international community needs to "make every effort to exert pressure and defuse tensions," and pointed out the "danger of opening a new front in Lebanon," stressing the "need to preserve Lebanon's stability and sovereignty."

The Office of the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon responded by saying they "called on all parties to cease fire and refrain from actions that further escalate tensions," and called the latest developments "worrying." The statement said that "the implementation of the ceasefire reached following UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is the only sustainable way forward."

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Mikati also urged the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701. He said his government has been "conducting a series of contacts with friends in Lebanon to prevent the escalation of the situation" and stressed that Lebanon "supports international efforts that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza."

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