Hezbollah fires rockets into Israel as threat of Iran attack looms

By Jeremy Diamond, Lauren Izso, Irene Nasser and Eyad Kourdi, CNN

Haifa, Israel (CNN) — Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets toward northern Israel on Sunday night, as Israeli forces remain on high alert for potential retaliation from Iran and its proxies following the assassination of a top Hamas leader last month.

Rocket fire toward Israel by Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon has become a near-daily occurrence since the outbreak of war in Gaza, as fears grow over the possibility of an Iranian attack that could escalate into a wider regional conflict.

The latest Hezbollah salvo was fired in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza and in retaliation for Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, the militant group said in a statement. It comes after Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike on the town of Ma’aroub, southern Lebanon, injured 12 people including six children.

About 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, adding that some fell into open areas and no injuries were reported.

Earlier Sunday, the IDF said its instructions to the public had not changed amid a possible military response from Iranian forces to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

“The IDF and the security establishment monitor our enemies and the developments in the Middle East, with an emphasis on Iran and Hezbollah, and constantly assess the situation,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said. “IDF forces are deployed and prepared in high readiness. If it becomes necessary to change the instructions, we will update about it in an orderly message on the official channels.”

Mediators in ceasefire-hostage talks between Israel and Hamas are making a renewed push to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table this week, as concerns grow that the conflict could spiral into a regional war.

On Sunday, CNN Political and Foreign Policy Analyst Barak Ravid reported that according to two sources, Israeli intelligence assessed Iranian forces could be planning an attack “within days, even before the August 15 hostage deal talks.”

A source privy to the details told Ravid the situation is “still fluid” and the internal debate in Iran continues. It is possible Iranian decision-making will still change.

Austin has ordered a guided-missile submarine to the Middle East and accelerated the arrival of a carrier strike group to the region ahead of an anticipated Iranian attack against Israel, the Pentagon said in a statement Sunday evening.

The announcement came in a readout of a call between the defense secretary and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.

Ravid also reported that a source with knowledge of the call said Gallant told Austin that Iranian military preparations suggest Iran is getting ready for a large-scale attack.

As the threat of an attack from Iran and Iran-backed Hezbollah looms, the leaders of the United States, Qatar and Egypt said Thursday they may present what they called a “final bridging proposal” this week, urging Israel and Hamas to conclude a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel will send a delegation to the talks.

An Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN over the weekend that Egyptian and Qatari mediators have conveyed to Israeli officials in recent days Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wants a ceasefire deal.

Hamas said Sunday it has asked mediators to implement a ceasefire plan based on previous talks such as those put forward by US President Joe Biden and the UN Security Council in July.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

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