ALBAWABA - TENSIONS on the Israel-Lebanon border increased Monday as Washington voiced its support for Israel’s military efforts against Hezbollah and Israeli forces conducted additional strikes in several sites in Lebanon.
Israel can’t be expected to take hits on its territory and its people and not respond, a U.S. official told CNN, signaling sustained American support for Israeli military actions. Hezbollah had escalated the war by firing hundreds of rockets and drones in recent weeks, the person said, stressing the current security scenario could not continue permanently.
The comments are part of broader diplomacy in the region to reduce tensions tied to the continuing situation concerning Iran. However, the Lebanese front is gradually becoming a distinct site of tension, which threatens to impede efforts for a wider regional settlement.
The Israeli military said it had widened its ground operations against what it characterized as Hezbollah facilities in the Bekaa Valley and elsewhere across Lebanon. The strikes came as Israel’s political and military leadership decided to step up pressure on the group following a series of drone attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a more robust reaction to Hezbollah, saying Israel will keep striking at threats emerging from Lebanese soil.
Airstrikes were reported in multiple sites in southern Lebanon, including near Tyre and Nabatieh, with evacuation warnings for others. Senior Israeli leaders also called for larger military action, demanding that operations go beyond the existing objectives.
There has been a formal ceasefire in place for weeks, but there have been nearly daily exchanges of fire. Israel claims its operations are intended at preventing future assaults, and Hezbollah says it is acting against Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon and on the border.
The current developments underscore the fragility of the ceasefire and increase fears that the Lebanese front could escalate into a wider confrontation despite diplomatic activity elsewhere in the region.
