Israel has intensified attacks on southern Lebanon, launching dozens of air raids amid fears of a wider escalation in the region.
Israeli warplanes targeted the towns of Mahmoudieh, Ksar al-Aroush and Birket Jabbour in the Jezzine area on Thursday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
Three unnamed Lebanese security sources told the news agency Reuters it was some of the most intense bombing since the start of the war in Gaza in October when Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah started trading cross-border fire.
Earlier, the Israeli military said it had struck “approximately 30 Hezbollah launchers” and other infrastructure and artillery also struck in the area of Naqoura. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
In a Thursday briefing, the Israeli defence minister said Hezbollah would “pay an increasing price” as Israel seeks to make conditions near its border with Lebanon safe enough for residents who have fled the cross-border attacks to return.
“The sequence of our military actions will continue,” Yoav Gallant said.
In a speech earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the pager and walkie-talkie attacks against its members in Lebanon and Syria this week crossed “all red lines” and the group would retaliate.
In recent weeks, Israeli leaders have stepped up warnings of a potential larger military operation against Hezbollah, saying they are determined to stop the group’s fire to allow tens of thousands of Israelis to return to homes near the border.
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