Jerusalem, Aug 26 (v7n) -Israeli officials and media expressed satisfaction after pre-emptive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon largely thwarted a missile attack by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement. The attack was seen as retaliation for the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut last month. Despite the exchange of fire, both Hezbollah and Israel appeared content to let the incident settle for now, though tensions remain high.

Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer highlighted the effectiveness of the Israeli strikes but emphasized that the ongoing situation, with thousands of people evacuated from their homes, is "not sustainable." Talks aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza and securing the release of hostages continue, with some optimism that the limited escalation might lead to progress.

On Sunday, Israeli jets targeted Hezbollah launch sites in southern Lebanon, destroying thousands of rockets intended for Israel. Although Hezbollah did launch missiles, most were intercepted or caused minimal damage. The exchange of fire continued into Monday but was less intense, raising hopes that the situation might de-escalate, at least temporarily.

Hezbollah, while denying that its response had been defused, indicated that its operation was successful, hinting at a potential pause in the hostilities. Iran, which had vowed retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, also signaled that it was not seeking to escalate regional tensions further.