This is the dramatic moment the skies over Israel erupted in a massive fireball as a fighter jet locked on and destroyed a Hezbollah drone.
The combat aircraft were scrambled to intercept the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which was travelling over northern Israel this morning (Sunday) and as these pictures show the drone was quickly obliterated.
It comes as smoke was seen rising from southern Lebanon this morning as the conflict between the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group renewed with fury.
Israel said it launched a wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon in what it said was a pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah, as the militant group said it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders last month.
It’s feared the heavy exchange of fire could trigger an all-out war in the Levant region, potentially drawing in the United States, Iran and militant groups across the region.
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It could also torpedo efforts to forge a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel has been at war with the Palestinian group Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, for over 10 months.
Conflict is continuing in Gaza with IDF forces still battling Hamas after the terrorist group staged an invasion into Israel and massacre of civilians on October 7 last year.
Today (Sunday) air raid sirens were reported throughout northern Israel, and Israel‘s Ben-Gurion International Airport diverted incoming flights and delayed takeoffs for a time. Israel’s Airports Authority said flights resumed at 7am local time.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said Hezbollah had intended to hit targets in northern and central Israel.
He said initial assessments found “very little damage” in Israel, but that the military remained on high alert. He said around 100 Israeli aircraft took part in Sunday’s strikes.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said one person had been killed in a strike on a car in the town of Khiam. Lebanese media reported other strikes across the south, and footage of apparent strikes circulated on social media.
Hezbollah said its attack involved more than 320 Katyusha rockets aimed at multiple sites in Israel and a “large number” of drones.
It said the operation was targeting “a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later” as well as “enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome (missile defense) platforms.”