Clashes have resumed at the border between Lebanon and Israel, with skirmishes occurring between Israeli forces and armed groups in Lebanon since the recent outbreak of the war in Gaza.
An anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon and landed in the town of Metula in northern Israel, causing injuries to three people, according to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility from any group in Lebanon. It is unknown whether the injured individuals were civilians or soldiers. Nevertheless, Israel has instructed civilians to evacuate the border area.
In response, Israel launched artillery fire and used white phosphorus in several areas along the border in southern Lebanon, as reported by the state-run National News Agency in Lebanon. The Israeli military stated that its tanks fired back into Lebanon after an anti-tank missile was launched across the border.
In an earlier incident, the Israeli military claimed to have killed four militants who were attempting to plant explosive devices on a border wall between Israel and Lebanon. A video captured by an Israeli army reconnaissance drone showed the militants near the separation wall as they were targeted, leading to an explosion.
There has been no claim of responsibility for this incident either. Last week, militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in southern Lebanon crossed the border and clashed with Israeli troops, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and several others being wounded. The militants were subsequently killed, and the Palestinian group held funerals for two of them.
There are concerns that Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups in the region may escalate the conflict with Israel to support Hamas in the event of a ground incursion into Gaza. So far, the artillery exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel have been limited to several towns along the border.
Israel has issued a warning that if Hezbollah opens a new front, the entire country of Lebanon will suffer the consequences.
The escalating rhetoric between Hezbollah and Israel has prompted diplomatic efforts to prevent a larger conflict. Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakkan Fidan, who arrived in Beirut on Tuesday, expressed his concerns about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, stating that it could potentially lead to even greater wars. He added that they are doing everything possible to prevent the war from spreading to other countries.
