The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday morning that it has "proactively and broadly" begun striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon to eliminate threats against Israel.

This comes after the IDF detected Hezbollah preparations to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.

"We are removing threats against the Israeli home front," IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a press briefing. "Dozens of [Israeli Air Force] jets are currently striking targets in various locations in southern Lebanon. We are continuing to remove threats, and to intensively strike against the Hezbollah terrorist organization."

"Hezbollah is launching rockets and UAVs toward Israeli territory," he continued. "Our aerial defense systems, the Israeli Navy’s ships and IAF planes are taking part in the mission of defending Israel’s skies, identifying and intercepting threats, and striking any place in Lebanon that is required in order to remove threats and hit Hezbollah."

IDF STRIKES HEZBOLLAH TERROR TARGETS IN LEBANON AFTER THEY WERE SEEN PREPARING TO FIRE TOWARD ISRAEL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who convened a meeting with cabinet members Sunday morning, once again called for an end to the displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis by months of hostilities. 

"We are determined to do everything to protect our country, return the residents of the north safely to their homes and continue to uphold a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them," Netanyahu said.

The IDF has already intercepted several rockets and UAVs that were launched toward Israeli territory, Hagari said.

Hagari also warned civilians in southern Lebanon that they are in danger, saying the IDF has learned that Hezbollah is firing into Israeli territory near their homes.

Hezbollah released a statement saying it launched an offensive towards Israel and that its military operation for the day has been completed.

"With God's help, all offensive drones were launched at their designated times from all their positions and crossed the Lebanese-Palestinian borders towards the intended target from multiple paths," the statement said. "Thus, our military operation for today has been completed and accomplished, praise be to God Almighty."

"The enemy's claims about the preemptive action it took, the targets it achieved, and its disruption of the resistance's attack are empty claims that contradict the facts on the ground and will be refuted in a speech by Hezbollah's Secretary-General, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, to be scheduled later today," the statement added.

HEZBOLLAH OPERATIVES KILLED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES AS TERROR GROUP FIRES 100 ROCKETS AT JEWISH STATE

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday morning called on dozens of his foreign counterparts around the world to support Israel after the country attacked Hezbollah to thwart attacks against the Jewish State.

The minister stressed that Israel is acting to protect its citizens and territory against "the axis of evil led by Iran, which has a declared goal of bringing about Israel's destruction," according to the Israeli government. Katz said Israel does not want an all-out war.

"Hezbollah has just launched over 150 projectiles from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. We target terrorist infrastructure, they target civilians," the IDF wrote on social media Sunday morning.

Israeli Defense Minister Gallant declared an Emergency Situation for 48 hours.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to Gallant about the IDF's activities after Israel began eliminating Hezbollah targets. They discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation and Gallant emphasized that Israel seeks to defend its citizens using all the means at its disposal to eliminate imminent threats.

A disability rights organization has sued to block the Nassau County, New York, mask ban that prohibits face coverings in public except for health and religious reasons, with the lawsuit arguing the ban is unconstitutional and discriminates against people with disabilities.

The Disability Rights of New York filed a federal class action lawsuit Thursday on behalf of people with disabilities, seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to immediately stop enforcement of the county's Mask Transparency Act, according to The Associated Press.

The Republican-controlled Nassau County Legislature passed the bill on Aug. 5, and it was signed into law on Aug. 14.

"This mask ban poses a direct threat to public health and discriminates against people with disabilities," the disability rights group's executive director Timothy A. Clune said in a statement.

NASSAU COUNTY BANS MASKS IN PUBLIC TO CURB VIOLENT CRIME, PROTESTS

The lawsuit lists two plaintiffs with various health conditions and who wear medical-grade face masks to protect themselves. The plaintiffs say they are now fearful of harassment and potential arrest due to the new mask ban.

"While in public and private places, strangers have come up to G.B. since August 5, 2024, to ask them if they are sick, if they are healthy or not, and to ask why they are wearing a facemask," according to the lawsuit, referring to one of the plaintiffs by their initials.

The lawsuit said G.B. has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and asthma and needs a wheelchair to move around.

"G.B. fears that they will be arrested just for wearing a facemask for their health because there is no standard for the police to follow to decide if they meet the health exception or not," the lawsuit said. "G.B. is also concerned that they will be harassed, discriminated against, or even assaulted by people, including business owners and employees, in Nassau County for just going about their day with a mask on."

Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who signed the bill into law, said county officials are "confident that the law will be upheld as there is a presumption of constitutionality when the legislature acts, and this legislation is reasonable and responsible."

NEW YORK COUNTY PASSES FACE MASK BAN

Legislator Howard Kopel said lawmakers sought to approve the ban in response to "antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks" amid anti-Israel demonstrations seen on college campuses in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack against Israel that started the ongoing war in Gaza.

The law makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone in Nassau County to wear a face covering to hide their identity in public, with exemptions for people who wear masks "for health, safety, religious or cultural purposes, or for the peaceful celebration of a holiday or similar religious or cultural event for which masks or facial coverings are customarily worn."

Blakeman has said protesters wearing masks were the reason for the ban, but that the new law is also a way to combat everyday crime.

"This is a broad public safety measure," Blakeman said at a news conference. "What we’ve seen is people using masks to shoplift, to carjack, to rob banks, and this is activity we want to stop."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.