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The Pentagon has confirmed the United States did not take part in shooting down Hezbollah’s rockets and drones targeting Israel over the weekend, nor was the US involved in any preemptive strikes on Hezbollah targets.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Over the weekend, Israel launched preemptive strikes on targets it claimed were being readied for an attack. In response, Hezbollah fired drones and missiles.
Pentagon confirms no involvement: During a press briefing, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “The US is prepared, as we’ve demonstrated in the past, to use force in order to support the defense of Israel. In this particular situation, given the threat that was launched from Lebanese Hezbollah, there was no requirement for the US to employ any of our munitions or capabilities to help defend. In other words, Israel was able to do that with its own organic capabilities and systems.” Ryder also confirmed that Israel made the decision to take preemptive strikes on Hezbollah’s targets, saying, “That was an Israeli decision to conduct those preemptive strikes based on information that they clearly had. The US was not a part of that.”
More on the preemptive strike: Israel’s preemptive strike on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon early Sunday involved around 100 fighter jets. The operation, approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aimed to neutralize an anticipated major Hezbollah attack (which reportedly was set to begin at 5 AM). Israel targeted dozens of positions to disrupt Hezbollah’s capabilities before the planned assault, justifying the strike as “a necessary defensive measure.” There’s been mixed reporting about casualties, though an Israeli news outlet claims that one Israeli soldier and three members of Hezbollah were killed in the clash.
More on Hezbollah’s response: Hezbollah responded to Israel’s preemptive strike by launching around 300 rockets and drones at what it claimed were Israeli military sites. Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, stated the retaliation was for the killing of top commander Fuad Shukr by Israel. While this escalation was significant, it did not trigger a broader conflict. Still, it marked one of the most intense exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel since the Gaza war began in October.
