The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah launched an “initial response” to the assassination of Commander Martyr Fouad Shokor at dawn Sunday, on the anniversary of Imam Hussein’s Arbaeen, by launching a large number of drones deep into the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement, the Resistance clarified that the attack targeted a strategic Zionist military site, adding that details about the specific target “will be disclosed at a later time.”
Simultaneously, the Resistance struck multiple sites, military barracks, and Iron Dome installations belonging to the occupation forces in northern occupied Palestine with a heavy barrage of missiles.
Hezbollah further stated that these military operations will continue for some time, with a comprehensive statement to be issued afterward, detailing the course and objectives of the operations.
The Resistance concluded its statement by emphasizing that it remains at the highest level of readiness, prepared to respond decisively to any Zionist transgression or aggression, and warning against severe and harsh consequences, particularly if civilians are targeted.
‘Indeed We shall take vengeance upon the guilty’
Hezbollah released another statement that begins with a Quranic verse that states, “Indeed We shall take vengeance upon the guilty.”
In its statement, Hezbollah confirmed that it had successfully completed the first phase of its response to the assassination of Martyr Shokor.
In this phase, Hezbollah targeted Zionist barracks and sites to facilitate the passage of attack drones towards their intended target deep within the occupied Palestinian territory. The drones successfully reached their destination as planned, according to the statement.
Secondly, the statement confirms that the number of Katyusha rockets fired exceeded 320, targeting enemy positions.
The statement concluded with a list of successful targets in the occupied Palestinian territory as part of the first phase of the response, which includes:
1. Meron Base
2. Naftali Ze’ev artillery position
3. Zaitoun Base
4. Zaoura artillery positions
5. Al-Sahel Base
6. Kila Barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights
7. U.F. barracks in the Syrian Golan Heights
8. Nafah Base in the Syrian Golan Heights
9. Yardan Base in the Syrian Golan Heights
10. Ein Zivitim Base
11. Ramot Naftali Base
Zionist entity misleading the public
Informed sources said that the occupation forces’ claims of thwarting Hezbollah’s operation are unfounded and are part of a broader effort to mislead the occupation’s public. In fact, despite the occupation’s heightened state of alert and the presence of military aircraft over Lebanese airspace throughout the night, Hezbollah’s missiles and drones successfully reached their designated targets.
The Resistance’s retaliation involved the strategic use of drones to strike a crucial military target, while the simultaneous launch of 320 rockets was intended to overwhelm the occupation’s Iron Dome and other defensive systems, according to the sources.
The Zionist narrative of preventing an attack involving over a thousand missiles, including precision-guided ones, is baseless and fabricated, the sources added.
Further, it has been confirmed that Hezbollah managed to achieve its objectives despite the occupation’s reliance on substantial American intelligence and operational support. This success came after a month-long period of heightened alertness.
The Resistance’s first official statement issued a stern warning to the occupation, cautioning against any targeting of Lebanese civilians. The statement highlighted that any such actions would provoke a severe and unforgiving response.
Operations concluded
In the wake of the military strikes, Hezbollah issued a third statement declaring that it had successfully launched all its attack drones at the designated times from their respective launch sites. The drones crossed the Lebanese-Palestinian border, targeting their intended objectives through multiple routes.
Hezbollah dismissed claims by the occupation that it had preemptively disrupted the operation and neutralized the attack as baseless and contrary to the facts on the ground. These claims will be addressed in detail later in a speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose date will be set later on Sunday, the statement added.
Nasrallah reflects
The primary targets of today’s operation – launched in response to the assassination of martyred Commander Fouad Shokor – were the central Glilot base of military intelligence Aman, incorporating the central hub of Unit 8200, located near Tel Aviv, and the Ein Shemer airbase, confirmed Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Dubbing the response Operation Arbaeen in a speech today, Sayyed Nasrallah reflected on the details of the operation and debunked Zionist claims that preceded and followed it.
Operation Arbaeen
Sayyed Nasrallah explained that the codename Operation Arbaeen was chosen deliberately as the world commemorates the Arbaeen of Imam Hussein. He specified that the operation was set to commence after the dawn prayer, after the Resistance fighters had everything set in place, precisely at 5:15 am.
Concerning the delay in the response, he confirmed that the Resistance was prepared to take action from day one following the martyrdom of Commander Fouad Shokor. However, the delay was intentional, serving as part of the strategy for punishment.
He stressed that the waiting period was also meant to allow the Resistance to assess whether the response would be coordinated across the Axis of Resistance or handled by each front individually and to make way for the negotiations, as the ultimate goal was to halt the aggression on Gaza.
Why Glilot?
Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted that the Glilot base is located 110 km from the Blue Line between Lebanon and occupied Palestine and 1,500 meters from Tel Aviv’s periphery, placing it just outside Tel Aviv. He added that the operation’s second target was the Ein Shemer airbase, situated 75 km from Lebanon and 40 km from Tel Aviv.
He confirmed that “a significant number of drones hit their intended targets, but the enemy is keeping all relevant details concealed, but the days and nights will reveal the truth of what happened there.”
Sayyed Nasrallah explained that the operation entailed two phases. The initial phase was focused on targeting sites and barracks in northern occupied Palestine with the hundreds of intended rockets to exhaust and deplete the Iron Dome and interceptor missiles, paving the way for phase two, which saw the swarms of drones heading toward their intended targets.
Regarding the guidelines set by the Resistance for selecting the said targets, Sayyed Nasrallah noted that they had to be military, not civilian, directly related to the assassination of the martyred leader, and located deep inside the occupied territory and close to Tel Aviv.
Zionist narrative full of lies: Sayyed Nasrallah
In response to the occupation’s claims of thwarting an attack on Tel Aviv, the Lebanese Resistance leader explained, “Our initial plan was to launch 300 rockets in this operation, but we ended up launching 340,” affirming that the enemy “did not thwart anything.”
“What was planned was achieved to the fullest,” Sayyed Nasrallah asserted.
He emphasized that the Zionist account of events was “full of lies,” reflecting the inherent weakness of the Israeli entity. He pointed out that no rocket launchers were targeted before the operation, adding, however, that only two were struck, yet only after the operation was completed.
Meanwhile, the entirety of the drone launch platform remained intact both before and after the operation.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that “the enemy’s claims about bombing strategic and precise missiles that were prepared to target Tel Aviv are sheer lies,” stressing that the Resistance, with a clear and precise strategy, had no intention of using such weapons in this particular operation. Yet, this does not mean that the Resistance would not use them in the future, or the near future to be more precise, according to Sayyed Nasrallah.
He further pointed out that the sites targeted by the occupation forces this morning on the outskirts of towns were either empty or had been evacuated at the request of martyr Fouad Shokor.
Debunking Zionist claims of carrying out airstrikes that nipped Hezbollah’s operation in the bud, the Lebanese Resistance leader affirmed that the enemy had no intel whatsoever, stressing that all its raids an hour before the operation were the result of the natural movement of the fighters on the ground in preparation for the operation.
Sayyed Nasrallah further debunked Zionist claims that the Resistance’s intention was to target civilians, as he detailed the aforementioned guidelines the Resistance followed in choosing its targets, one of which is it not being civilian.
On Zionist claims that the military carried out preemptive strikes in Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan affirmed that “all the raids launched by the enemy did not target the area of operation” and that “this was nothing less than an aggression,” before adding that supposedly it was a preemptive strike, “it did not have any impact whatsoever on today’s operation.”
In a related context, Sayyed Nasrallah noted that the Resistance launched drones from Bekaa for the first time, confirming that they successfully crossed the borders into occupied Palestine despite the long distance.
Terms of completing the response
Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized that the Resistance would monitor the outcome of the operation, especially amid the enemy’s obscurement of the truth regarding the two targeted bases.
“If the outcome is satisfactory and achieves the intended goal, we will consider the retaliatory operation complete, but if the result is not sufficient [as per the Resistance’s terms], we reserve the right to respond at a time of our choosing,” he maintained.
Hezbollah’s secretary-general concluded that the Resistance will remain steadfast in its support for Gaza, its people, Palestine, and the nation’s sanctities, regardless of the circumstances, challenges, or sacrifices, noting that today’s operation “may benefit the Palestinian side or the Arab side in terms of negotiations.”
He emphasized that “the message to the enemy and the Americans behind it is that any hopes of silencing the support fronts are futile, no matter the sacrifices, particularly on the Lebanese front.”
Palestinian Resistance factions issue statements
The Palestinian Resistance factions poured their congratulations to the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah – for its preliminary retaliation operation for the assassination of its senior commander, Martyr Fouad Shokor.
Hamas
Hamas extended its congratulations for the “strong and focused” response carried out by the Islamic Resistance on Sunday morning, which directly struck multiple vital and strategic targets deep within occupied territories.
In its statement, the Resistance movement described the operation as “a slap in the face of the fascist occupation government and a message that its terrorism and crimes against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples will not go unanswered and will not achieve its aggressive goals and plans.”
Hamas also strongly denounced the Zionist escalation against Lebanon, as well as its “savage and criminal bombardment of Lebanese lands and civilians,” affirming that the aggression is a flagrant violation of all international charters and laws and additional proof of the danger the occupation poses to regional security and stability.
Hamas held the US administration fully accountable for the consequences of “Israel’s” crimes, and for its complicity in the aggression against Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Resistance movement also issued a statement commending Hezbollah for its courageous, bold, and successful attack against Zionist targets integrated deep within occupied territories.
The PIJ said Hezbollah’s operation showcases its “steadfastness in their positions and fulfillment of their promise” to support Palestine and defend Lebanon.
“These strikes have confirmed that the Zionist enemy understands only the language of force and is deterred only by the blows of the Resistance and the fighters,” the statement further read.
Palestinian Resistance Committees
The Palestine Resistance Committees said the “responses carried out by the Islamic Resistance prove that Hezbollah has the capabilities to deeply penetrate the Zionist entity and expose the collapse of the Zionist deterrence and defense systems.
The Committees’ statement further read that Hezbollah’s operation was more evidence that the Zionist military, along with the United States and the West, could not protect the occupation from the blows and responses of the Resistance.
They also expressed their greetings and pride to all the free fighters in Hezbollah, who “express their authenticity, gallantry, and the boldness of their wise leadership as they continue to support and back our people and resistance in the face of the Zionist-American war machine and crimes.”
Al-Mujahideen Movement
For its part, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement praised the response of the Islamic Resistance, extending its support to its brothers in Lebanon as they confront the “fascist Zionist enemy and the aggression backed by the head of global terrorism and evil, the United States of America.”
The movement also echoed the factions’ appreciation for Hezbollah as it continues walking the path of resistance in support of the people of Palestine amid the most “heinous crime of genocide, despite the conspiracies, aggression, Arab indolence, and international complicity.”
The statement further called on the Resistance fighters and the nation to intensify their strategic strikes against the occupation’s targets and interests, as “force and spears are the only language that the cowardly Zionist enemy understands.”
PFLP
Meanwhile, the head of international relations for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Maher al-Taher, said that “the Palestinian people had full confidence that Hezbollah would deliver painful blows to the entity.”
He clarified that Hezbollah, which is widely known for its reliability, operates under the strategy of overwhelming and exhausting the occupation.
PFLP-GC
The Secretary-General of the PFLP – General Command, Talal Naji, also affirmed that Hezbollah’s operation significantly impacts the ongoing war against the people of Gaza and Palestine.
He relayed the trust the people of Palestine have in Hezbollah, saying that Palestine had absolute faith that the Resistance would respond to Martyr Shokor’s assassination.
“Hezbollah keeps its promises, and the enemy knows that,” he added, noting that “what the Resistance did today provides our people and negotiators with a significant boost,” and affirming that “the occupation has not been able to eliminate the Resistance, and it will not be able to do so, as proven by what happened today.”