The Israeli military said on Tuesday it intercepted six rockets launched from Lebanon and struck the launch site and a “terrorist cell” in response.
The military also said a military facility in Lebanese territory belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah group was also bombed. Two reserve soldiers were injured when an Israeli site in northern Israel came under fire.
Since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, there have been frequent clashes between the Israeli military and armed groups in the Israeli-Lebanese border area. This is the most serious escalation since the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
According to the Israeli military, five civilians and nine soldiers have been killed on the Israeli side since then. Civilians have also been injured in Lebanon. In addition, more than 100 Hezbollah fighters have been killed.
The Israeli military warned Hezbollah on Monday against any escalation of fighting along the border.
Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said, “We are closer to war today than we were yesterday,” accusing Hezbollah of a “steady and systematic escalation along the border.”
Conricus considered Hezbollah to be “involving Lebanon in a dangerous war.”
He added that a diplomatic solution with Hezbollah is being sought, adding that if it is not achieved, the Israeli military is ready to “use its capabilities to allow Israeli civilians in the border area to return to their homes.”
According to the Israeli military, about 80,000 Israeli civilians have been evacuated in recent months due to fighting in the north.
