Israel says it is attacking Hezbollah targets, US says intel showed imminent threat

Israel is currently carrying out dozens of preemptive strikes against what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

This comes shortly before the top US military general’s visit to Israel in the coming days. A US official told Al Arabiya English that intelligence over the last two days signaled that Hezbollah was about to carry out a large-scale attack on Israel.

The Israeli military said in a video posted overnight Saturday that “in a self-defense act to remove these threats, the [Israeli military] is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown traveled to Jordan this weekend before scheduled visits to Egypt and Israel.

According to the US official, the “truly imminent threat” from Hezbollah was obtained after Brown’s trip was already scheduled and in the works.

The Pentagon referred questions on the Israeli operations to the Israeli military. “We continue to closely monitor the situation and have been very clear that the US is postured to support the defense of Israel,” a US defense official said.

Sources familiar with the matter said that Israel informed the US ahead of the latest strikes.

Brown’s trip is meant to display the long-term US commitment to the Middle East and further his understanding of the various perspectives of the ongoing tensions, Joint Staff Spokesman Capt. Jereal Dorsey said.

He will stress the importance of deterring further escalation, protecting American forces in the region and US support of Israel’s self-defense, according to Dorsey.

“As ceasefire negotiations continue, the Chairman’s visit is reflective of the importance of reaching an agreement that returns the hostages, ends the violence, and allows the entire region to focus on the next steps toward a more secure, stable Middle East,” Dorsey said in a statement.