Israeli defense minister declares 48-hour state of emergency

This photo taken from a position in northern Israel shows an Israeli Air Force fighter jet firing flares as it flies to intercept a hostile aircraft that launched from Lebanon over the border area with south Lebanon on August 25, 2024. – The Israeli military announced early August 25, 2024 that it was conducting pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon after detecting preparations for “large-scale” attacks by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Hezbollah said August 25, 2024 it had launched more than 320 rockets at Israel overnight, targeting a string of military positions, even as Israel’s military said it was carrying out pre-emptive strikes against the group. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

JERUSALEM — Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a 48-hour nationwide state of emergency from 06:00 am (0300 GMT) Sunday, after the Israeli military launched what it called pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon.

“The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF (Israeli military) to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant,” Gallant said, in a statement issued by his office.

“I am convinced that there is a high probability of an attack against the civilian population in areas of the country where the declaration of a special situation did not apply,” he said, referring to previous local emergency measures.

READ: Hezbollah launches wide-scale attack against Israeli positions

“I hereby declare a special situation on the home front in other areas of the country. The situation is valid for 48 hours starting at 6:00 am,” Gallant said.

In a separate statement, the defense ministry said Gallant briefed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the overall situation.

“We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel,” Gallant told Austin, according to the statement.

READ: Israel says launching preemptive Lebanon strikes

“We are closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens.”

The statement also said that the two leaders “discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation”.