BEIRUT

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Sunday called an emergency meeting of the ministerial committee to discuss the situation following Israel's massive air raid, which Tel Aviv called a "preemptive strike."

In a statement, Mikati announced that the meeting will be held at his Beirut home on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. (0730GMT).

He noted that the invitation is extended to all ministers who are available to attend for further consultation on recent developments.

Earlier on Sunday morning, Israeli warplanes conducted over 40 airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the most severe assault since the conflict began on Oct. 8, 2023.

The Israeli army called the attack a "preemptive strike," claiming to have halted an impending Hezbollah attack before it could take place.

In response, Hezbollah reported launching 320 rockets at Israeli military targets as the initial phase of its response to the July assassination of its commander, Fouad Shukr, by 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 Ikram Kouachi