Israel greatly fears Hezbollah, saying it is stronger than the armies of many countries

(Patria) - Israel has destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers, but the militant group has "many more," the Israeli army (IDF) announced today.

IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told Sky News that the militant group had been stockpiling its weapons with the help of Iran for years.

He stated that Hezbollah is one of the largest militant organizations in the world and "stronger than many armies," Index reports.

Shoshani reiterated that Israel launched preemptive strikes on southern Lebanon overnight because it had detected Hezbollah fighters preparing for a "large-scale" rocket attack against Israel.

He refused to comment on whether the headquarters of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, was targeted by militants, but confirmed that rockets were aimed at central and northern Israel.

Shohsani claims that Israeli forces carried out a "defensive operation" around 4:30 AM local time.

- We are protecting Israeli citizens and with our air defense system, we prevent terrorist attacks or neutralize immediate threats minutes before they happen - Shoshani emphasizes.

When asked if ceasefire negotiations would be complicated by the overnight attacks, he said there is only a "small connection" between Hezbollah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and that is Iran.

- We are working to bring the hostages home in any way possible, whether through military action or an agreement. And we believe both are possible. I don't think the events in the north necessarily affect the talks about the return of the hostages - Shohsani added.