Cross-border exchange of fire between Lebanon’s Hezbollah party and Israel escalated on Wednesday leading to the injury of 18 Israelis, as Hezbollah continues to retaliate against Israel’s killing of its leaders.
Hezbollah targeted an Israeli outpost with a drone yesterday, triggering an Israeli shelling on villages and towns in south Lebanon.
The recent escalation comes amid ambiguity in Israeli’s military response to Iran’s Sunday attack that targeted two of Israel’s military bases. Tehran has retaliated to a deadly strike on its Damascus consulate bombing earlier this month.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for bombing a military outpost in Arab al-Aramshe village in Israel located south of the Lebanese border.
In a statement the party said it fired missiles at Israeli military positions in retaliation to the killing of Hezbollah leaders in Ain Baal and al-Shahabiyeh.
Israeli paramedics said 18 Israelis, including soldiers, were taken to the Nahariya hospital, four of whom suffered from serious injuries as a result of missiles fired by Hezbollah drones from south Lebanon.
Military and strategic researcher Mustafa Asaad told Asharq al-Awsat that a retaliation from Hezbollah was expected knowing that several leaders of the party were killed by Israel. He described the recent development as a “dangerous one.”
However, he pointed out that from Israel’s perspective any exchange of fire with Hezbollah will not stand to substitute for a strike against Iran.
“It will not be a substitute, from the Israeli perspective for striking Iran, because Tel Aviv’s response will be directed to the inside not the outside, carrying a message that it retains a massive power”.
On Wednesday, Israeli shelling targeted the al-Dhaiyra, the outskirts of Alma al-Shaab, Yarin and Merwahin in southern Lebanon. Israeli reconnaissance planes continued to hover over the area.
Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been exchanging fire since a day after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.
