State of emergency issued in Israel as Hezbollah launches airstrikes

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant today announced a 48-hour nationwide state of emergency, starting from 6am as Palestinian armed group Hezbollah launches large-scale air strikes from Lebanon.

The Israeli military is also carrying out a series of pre-emptive strikes against Hezbollah.

“The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant,” Gallant was quoted as saying by French news agency AFP in a statement issued by his office.

IDF stands for the Israel Defence Forces.

Earlier today, Hezbollah announced that it would be launching rockets and drone attacks towards Israel in an “initial response” to the killing of its commander Fuad Shukr last month, AFP reported.