BEIRUT (AA) - Lebanese group Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it had launched 320 rockets deep into Israel as part of the “first stage” of the response to Tel Aviv's assassination of its leader, Fuad Shukur.

The announcement came shortly after the Israeli army attacked southern Lebanon with a large-scale airstrike that it called a "preemptive strike," claiming to have prevented Hezbollah from launching an attack.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that “the first stage of our response to Shukr's assassination has been successfully completed."

“The initial phase involved targeting Israeli barracks and sites to facilitate the passage of offensive drones toward their intended targets deep within the Israeli entity,” it added, noting: “These drones have successfully reached their destinations as planned."

It also noted that "the number of Katyusha rockets launched so far has surpassed 320, striking enemy positions."

Hezbollah stated that 11 Israeli military sites were targeted, including the Meron, Zaatoun, Al-Sahl, Nafah, Yarden, and Ein Zeitim bases, as well as the Kela, UF, Ramot Naftali, Neve Ziv, and Zarura camps, all in northern Israel.

The group also claimed that the drone attack coincided with strikes on several Israeli military sites, barracks, and Iron Dome missile defense systems in northern occupied Palestine with a large number of rockets.

The Israeli army stated: "We have recently detected preparations by Hezbollah to launch rockets and missiles towards Israel. As a result, we are attacking to eliminate the threat."

Israeli authorities halted all flights to and from Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on Sunday.

According to Anadolu's correspondent, Israeli fighter jets simultaneously launched more than 40 airstrikes on 17 areas and towns in southern Lebanon.

Ambulances were seen rushing to some of the targeted locations.

Witnesses also reported the launch of dozens of rockets and attack drones from Lebanese territory towards Israel.

Israeli media, including Channel 12, reported that air raid sirens were sounding in several cities in northern Israel.

Since October 8, 2023, Lebanon’s Hezbollah has been engaged in daily exchanges of fire with the Israeli army across the Blue Line, resulting in hundreds of casualties, mostly on the Lebanese side.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 40,300 Palestinians since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion. The military campaign has reduced much of the territory to rubble and left most of the people homeless, hungry and prone to disease.

* Writing by Alperen Aktas and Ikram Kouachi