Hezbollah-Israel Tension: On the Brink of Wider Conflict

Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for the last eight months amidst the Gaza war. Despite not seeking to escalate the conflict, Hezbollah is prepared for any imposed war. The situation has caused significant displacement and recent increased hostilities, raising fears of a broader conflict.

Lebanon's Hezbollah movement is not seeking to widen its conflict with Israel but is ready to fight any war imposed on it, its deputy leader was quoted as saying on Tuesday, as hostilities across the Lebanese-Israeli border remained intense. Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for the past eight months in parallel with the Gaza war, raising concerns that an even wider conflict could break out between the heavily armed adversaries.

The violence, which has oscillated for months, escalated in recent days. Hezbollah announced on Tuesday it had launched a squadron of one-way attack drones at an Israeli military barracks for a second consecutive day, calling it a response to a deadly Israeli attack on Lebanon. Sirens sounded in northern Israel.

The hostilities have been the worst between Israel and Hezbollah since they went to war in 2006, and tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes. Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem told broadcaster Al Jazeera that the group's decision was not to "widen the war" but that it would fight one if it was imposed on it, according to a newsflash run before the interview was screened.

Israel's war cabinet is due to meet later on Tuesday mainly to discuss the northern front, an Israeli official said. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer on Tuesday said the fighting in the north was "not a sustainable reality".

He said Israel was committed to the security of tens of thousands of Israelis who had been evacuated from the area and to ensure their return home. "It is up to Hezbollah to decide if this can be accomplished by diplomatic means or by force," he said. "We are defending this country and no one should be surprised by our response."

Amos Hochstein , a senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden at the heart of diplomatic efforts seeking de-escalation, said last week a land border agreement between Israel and Lebanon implemented in phases could dampen the conflict.

Israel has gone to war numerous times in Lebanon. Education Minister Yoav Kisch, a member of the ruling Likud party who is not part of Israel's war cabinet, told Army Radio on Monday that Israel "must go to war to drive Hezbollah ... beyond the Litani" river, which meets the Mediterranean Sea near the Lebanese city of Tyre, 19 km (12 miles) from the border.

Israeli strikes have killed some 300 members of Hezbollah since Oct. 7, and around 80 civilians. Attacks from Lebanon on Israel have killed 18 Israeli soldiers and 10 civilians, the Israeli military says. Rockets fired from Lebanon set off wildfires across swathes of northern Israel on Monday.

On Monday, Hezbollah said it launched a squadron of drones against an Israeli target in response to Israel's killing of a Hezbollah member. While Hezbollah has used drones in the conflict, it marked the first time it had declared launching a squadron of them. The group said Tuesday's drone launch had been in response to what it described as an Israeli assassination in Naqoura, a border town.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)