Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes in southern Lebanon early Sunday in what it said was a pre-emptive strike against the Hezbollah militant group, threatening to trigger a broader regionwide war that could torpedo efforts to forge a cease-fire in Gaza.

Warning sirens rang in northern Israel soon and Lebanese media reported strikes in the country's south. Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv began diverting incoming flights and delaying others due to takeoff Sunday after the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.

Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets at Israel on September 4, the largest escalation since the group launched several hundred rockets on August 25. The attacks took place amid shifts on other fronts as Israel handles Iranian-sponsored threats.

Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes in southern Lebanon early Sunday in what it said was a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah. The army said Hezbollah was planning to launch a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles toward Israel.

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on a target between the villages of Ghandourieh and Froun in southern Lebanon late on September 6, 2024, amid the ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched multiple strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. The escalation came after Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at northern Israel early Sunday,