Hezbollah launches rockets at Israel after overnight airstrikes: 'Open-ended battle'

Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets into northern Israel on Sunday in response to a series of Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, pushing both sides closer to the brink of full-scale war.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon killed dozens, including one of the group’s top commanders, Ibrahim Akil.

Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Kassem, said Sunday's rocket attack was just the beginning of what's now an "open-ended battle" with Israel.

At Akil’s funeral, Kassem vowed Hezbollah would continue military operations against Israel but also warned of unexpected attacks "from outside the box," pointing to rockets fired deeper into Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would take whatever action was necessary to restore security in the north and allow people to return to their homes.

"No country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities. We can't accept it either," he said.

Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, told reporters the army is prepared to increase pressure on Hezbollah in the coming days, adding, "We have many capabilities that we have not yet activated."

ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE ON TERRORIST TARGETS, ROCKET LAUNCHERS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON

The Israeli military said it struck about 400 militant sites, including rocket launchers, across southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours, thwarting an even larger attack.

"Last night, hundreds of thousands of Israelis woke up to rocket sirens as Hezbollah launched over 20 rockets towards northern Israel that left communities in ruins," IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said. "This attack could have caused much more damage, but we were able to minimize their attack with a preemptive