Tel Aviv — Fear of a potential full-scale war between Israel and the Hamas-allied militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon was stoked Thursday after an Israeli airstrike killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
Israel mentioned the commander it killed Wednesday, Mohammad Naameh Nasser, was answerable for firing rockets into Israel. Hezbollah — a bunch which, like Hamas, is backed by Iran however believed to be bigger and significantly better armed — responded with one other barrage of rocket hearth.
Hezbollah has stepped up its attacks since Israel, which shares its northern border with Lebanon, launched the war in Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist assault. Hezbollah has mentioned it will not cease firing rockets at Israel till there is a cease-fire in Gaza.
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The Israel Defense Forces mentioned it intercepted drones and different projectiles fired from southern Lebanon on Thursday and that some of the falling particles induced fires on the bottom. The navy didn’t report any casualties, however mentioned it was responding to the Hezbollah hearth by “striking launch posts in southern Lebanon.”
The escalating change of hearth throughout the border has been lethal. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported at the very least 435 deaths on that facet of the border as of June 26. About 90 of these killed by Israeli shelling have been civilians, based on the Al Jazeera community.Â
In Israel at the very least 27 folks have been killed by Hezbollah rocket and drone assaults since October, together with 10 civilians, based on earlier statements by Israeli authorities.
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The clashes have additionally sparked an exodus, forcing tens of 1000’s of folks in each northern Israel and southern Lebanon to flee their properties throughout the border area.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody war in 2006, and the U.S. authorities has voiced concern over the prospect of a full-scale war that would immediate Iran’s proxy groups across the region to focus on American forces primarily based in neighboring international locations. They have already performed so a number of occasions since October, together with a drone strike on an American base in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops in January.
The Biden administration has been working each with public diplomacy and behind closed doorways to attempt to forestall that from occurring.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned Wednesday that his nation would favor a diplomatic answer, however “if reality forces us, we will know how to fight.”
