A Hezbollah Resistance fighter standing behind a rocket launcher in an unknown underground facility dubbed Imad 4 as shown in the footage released by the group in August 2024. (Hezbollah Military Media)

The United States provided intelligence support to "Israel" during Hezbollah's retaliatory operation on Sunday, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a press briefing on Monday.

"We did provide some intelligence surveillance reconnaissance support, ISR, in terms of tracking incoming Lebanese Hezbollah attacks, but did not conduct any kinetic operations as they were not required," he said.

Ryder also expressed his belief that the United States' bolstered military deployment in the Middle East has contributed to keeping recent tensions from expanding in the region.

'Ducks in a shooting range'

On Sunday morning, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah initiated its "initial retaliation" for the Israeli assassination of its senior military commander, Martyr Sayyed Fouad Shokor. Hezbollah attacked numerous Israeli military and vital targets, going as far as the Glilot base, located some 1.5 km from Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, "Israel" claimed that it had struck in a "preemptive strike .. thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers were struck simultaneously by some 100 IAF fighter jets."

However, in a speech following the operation, Hezbollah's chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah denied the Israeli allegations, confirming that all rockets and drones intended for the operation were unharmed in the strikes and were launched as planned toward their targets. Sayyed Nasrallah also declared that the operation was a succuss "in every detail".

Yair Kraus, Yedioth Ahronoth's correspondent in northern occupied Palestine, said commenting on "Israel's" reaction to Hezbollah's operation that Israelis had expected their military to cross the border to Lebanon and "complete the mission after nearly a year of living like ducks in a shooting range," but were instead surprised by what they called the "theatricality of the preemptive operation" against Hezbollah.

"We, the residents, were pawns in the hands of the government and the army against Hezbollah," he said. "Instead of taking advantage of the preemptive strike, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu ordered the retreat of the aircraft," Kraus added.

"A government that doesn’t aim for victory and doesn’t effectively work to return the displaced residents of the north to their homes and eliminate the threat hanging over nearly 300,000 people" should step aside.

"You deceived us, ministers and generals, with false slogans and empty promises."