ALBAWABA- Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Thursday as fresh exchanges of fire were reported on both sides, even as Lebanese and Israeli delegations held US-mediated talks in Washington aimed at stabilizing the fragile ceasefire.
Hezbollah said it carried out rocket and drone strikes targeting Israeli military positions and troop movements in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, describing the attacks as retaliation for ongoing Israeli operations near the border.
In response, Israeli authorities activated air raid sirens in Kiryat Shmona and surrounding border communities after reports of suspected drone or rocket infiltration from southern Lebanon.
The Israeli Army said it intercepted several missiles launched from Lebanon toward Kiryat Shmona, while others landed in open areas. It described the firing of missiles toward the city as a serious violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah.
Israeli media, including Maariv, reported that at least one Israeli soldier was wounded during operations in southern Lebanon, where forces have been conducting ongoing border-area activities. Additional reports pointed to continued clashes and drone-related incidents involving Israeli troops near the frontier.
Lebanese sources, meanwhile, reported Israeli artillery shelling across several areas in southern Lebanon, including Ali al-Tahir heights, Al-Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Kafr Tibnit, Jibshit, and Meis el-Jabal. Lebanese officials described the strikes as violations of the ceasefire, citing continued bombardment and drone activity across the Nabatieh and Tyre regions.
The latest violence comes as the third round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations opened in Washington under US mediation on May 14–15, focusing on extending the ceasefire, border demarcation, Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons issue, and reconstruction efforts.
The current escalation follows months of intermittent clashes despite a US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on April 16. While the agreement reduced large-scale fighting, both sides have continued to accuse each other of violations amid ongoing low-intensity warfare along the border.
