How the missile exchange between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated the war in Gaza (and kept the Middle East on edge) unfolded

Early Sunday, the paramilitary group Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones against Israel .

As an immediate response, The Israeli army claimed to have attacked Lebanon with about 100 aircraft “preemptively” to thwart a larger attack, in one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of border war.

The missiles traced parabolas across the dawn sky, with dark vapor trails behind them, as an air raid siren sounded in Israel and several explosions lit up the horizon, while smoke rose above the homes of Khiam in southern Lebanon.

According to Reuters, confirmed at least three dead in Lebanon and one in Israel where the agency indicates that the damage appears limited.

Hezbollah said it was not planning further attacks yet, while Israel’s foreign minister said the country was not seeking a full-scale war in the Middle East.

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “This is not the end of the story “.

Any major escalation of the fighting, which began in parallel with the war in Gaza, could turn into a regional conflagration.

Analysts say this would eventually attract Iran ally of Hezbollah, already USA Israel’s main military supporter.

Sunday’s attacks came as negotiators met in Cairo on a last-ditch effort to end the fighting in Gaza .

The Iranian-backed Lebanese group said that had fired about 320 Katyusha rockets against Israel.

Katyushas are originally missiles made by the Soviet Union during World War II, more fragile than artillery guns, but inexpensive, easy to produce and can also be used on any chassis.

Hezolá claimed to have achieved 11 military objectives in what it calls the first phase of its retaliation for Israel’s assassination of Fouad Shukr, a senior commander, last month.

Hezbollah delayed the action to allow time for ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, a Hezbollah official said, adding that had calibrated its response to avoid triggering a full-scale war .

For its part, the Israeli military said it had foiled a much larger attack with preemptive airstrikes after assessing that Hezbollah was preparing to launch the barrage, using 100 aircraft to attack more than 40 Hezbollah launch points in the south of Lebanon.

Flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, were suspended for about an hour and a half.

Some flights to and from Beirut have been suspended, leaving passengers stranded. “I just want to get out of here no matter what,” said Rana Saade, a Lebanese woman living in New Jersey.

A security source in Lebanon said that At least 40 Israeli attacks hit several cities in the south of the country in one of the most intense bombardments since hostilities began in October.

One of the attacks on the town of Khiam killed a fighter from the Shiite group Amal, an ally of Hezbollah, two security sources told Reuters. Amal later announced his death.

Another Israeli attack on Al Tiri killed two more people, according to a security source and a medical source. Until now, it was unclear whether they were fighters or civilians.

The White House said US President Joe Biden was monitoring the situation as it developed.

“We will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself and we will continue to work for regional stability. ” said National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett.

The United States did not participate in the Israeli attacks On Sunday, however, he provided information about the arrival of Hezbollah attacks, according to a U.S. official.

Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiators discussed new proposals in Cairo on Saturday, seeking to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas, as the UN reported worsening humanitarian conditions, with rising malnutrition and polio cases.

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed 50 people on Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials.

Victims of the hostilities of the last 48 hours are still lying on the roads, where fighting continues, or trapped under the rubble, authorities reported.

A Hamas delegation arrived on Saturday to take a closer look at all the proposals emerging from key negotiations between Israel and mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and the United States, two Egyptian security sources said.

Months of relentless talks have so far failed to produce a breakthrough that would end Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza or free the hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.

According to Egyptian sources, the new proposals include commitments on outstanding issues, such as the security of key areas and the return of the population to northern Gaza.

However, There has been no sign of progress on the main points of conflict such as Israel’s insistence on maintaining control of the so-called Philadelphia Corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt.

Hamas has accused Israel of backtracking on points it had previously agreed to in negotiations, something Israel denies. The group also says the United States is not mediating in good faith.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clashed with Israeli ceasefire negotiators over whether Israeli troops should remain along the Gaza-Egypt border, a person familiar with the talks told Reuters.

A Palestinian official familiar with the mediation efforts said it was too early to predict the outcome of the talks. “Hamas is here to discuss the outcome of the mediators’ negotiations with Israeli officials and to find out if there is anything that suggests a change in Netanyahu’s position on reaching an agreement,” the official said.

The war is further worsening the plight of Gaza’s 2.3 million people. almost all homeless, housed in tents or shelters amidst the ruins, with endemic malnutrition and the spread of diseases, which also endangers the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages .

He The October 7 attack killed 1,200 people according to Israeli counts. Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities.

The United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA reported on Friday that The amount of food aid entering Gaza in July was one of the lowest since October when Israel imposed a total siege.

OCHA noted that in July The number of children suffering from acute malnutrition in northern Gaza was four times higher than in May While in the south, which is more accessible and where the fighting is less serious, this number has more than doubled.

THE World Health Organization reported on Friday that A 10-month-old baby was paralyzed by polio the first case in the territory in 25 years, raising fears of a wider outbreak given the lack of adequate sanitation for people living in the ruins.