Israel Declares 48-Hour Nationwide Emergency Following Hezbollah Airstrikes

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared a general state of emergency across the country for 48 hours in the early hours of Sunday morning, citing the pre-emptive strikes that the Israeli military carried out in Lebanon against Hezbollah.

These measures under the state of emergency came into effect from 6:00 a.m. Israeli time to allow for vital instructions on the part of the Israeli Defense Forces, such as banning public gatherings or the closure of sensitive sites.

The decision came after a vast increase in violence that included a claim by Hezbollah of launching more than 320 rockets and a number of explosive-laden drones toward northern Israel. Hezbollah said it had hit 11 military bases in the space, which was a very sharp rise in the conflict.

A state of emergency allows the IDF to make safety instructions in a civilian population, predominantly in places where the chances of attacks are very high, as emphasized by Defense Minister Gallant. He added a high alert possibility for attacks on the civilian population in the area not covered by this special situation.

Hezbollah said these actions were an "initial response" to the killing of one of its top commanders, which earlier provoked Israel to launch a series of preemptive strikes. Earlier, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari warned about Hezbollah's plans to attack Israeli civilians, stating that they had detected preparations by Hezbollah to launch missiles and rockets at Israel. The IDF launched proactive strikes against the threats of Hezbollah, hammering sites of terror in Lebanon from whence it was planning its attacks.