Israel announced on Tuesday that its recent attacks deep inside Lebanon came in anticipation of a potential escalation.
The announcement was made hours after the Israeli army targeted a Hezbollah ammunition depot in the eastern Bekaa valley, about 80 kilometers from the nearest border point.
On Monday night, Israeli aircraft launched heavy raids on three Hezbollah sites in the Bekaa, including weapons depots. No casualties were reported.
On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant assessed the situation at the 36th Division headquarters on the northern front with Lebanon.
“Our center of gravity is gradually shifting from the south to the north,” he said, pointing to a readiness to shift from operations in Gaza to a focus on the Lebanese front.
Galant added that the strikes deep inside Lebanon were in preparation for “any potential developments”.
The Israeli army confirmed its strikes on several warehouses storing Hezbollah weapons in the Bekaa on Monday.
It noted that following the raids, secondary explosions were observed, indicating a significant presence of weapons in the targeted locations.
Eleven people were injured in the attack, according to the Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Center.
In retaliation, Hezbollah fired a barrage of missiles at Israeli military positions in the occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday.
In a statement, the party said: “In response to the Israeli enemy’s attack on the Bekaa region, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance launched an intense missile strike on the headquarters of the 210th Golan Division in the Nafah Barracks, as well as on the Artillery Regiment and Armored Brigade of the 210th Division in the Yarden Barracks.”
The Israeli army responded with a statement saying that its aircraft struck a Hezbollah launch site, from which missiles were fired, in the Beit Lif area in southern Lebanon on Monday.
It also said its jets targeted a Hezbollah military facility in Aita al-Shaab in the South.
