- Israeli drone strike killed 2 in Lebanon
- Heightened fears of regional conflict
- Hezbollah denies responsibility for rocket attack
Two civilians were reportedly killed by Israeli drone attacks in southern Lebanon as the border crisis escalated.
The Israeli attack was the first lethal response to a missile attack on Saturday that Israel claims killed 12 children and youths in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The strike has heightened fears that the battle in Gaza would develop into a regional conflict.
According to Lebanon’s state media, one strike hit a motorcycle near the border, killing two riders and wounding a kid. Two other people were hurt in a separate strike in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military stated that it had targeted Hezbollah operatives and facilities but did not provide any information.
Israel has blamed Hezbollah for the rocket attack over the weekend. For months, the two have been engaged in a low-level border conflict.
The Lebanese armed organization, which is affiliated with Iran and has promised to continue attacking Israel in solidarity with Gaza, has denied responsibility.
Late Sunday, Israel’s security cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration to retaliate.
According to Israel’s largest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, unnamed Israeli sources said Israel’s response will be “limited but significant.”
It described alternatives ranging from a minor but “photogenic” attack on infrastructure, including bridges, power plants, and ports, to raids on Hezbollah weapons caches.
‘Chaos’ in Beirut
Anticipating Israeli counterattacks, Hezbollah and its linked forces evacuated several areas in Lebanon and Syria that could be targeted, according to AFP, citing a source close to the Lebanese group.
Fears of Israeli reprisal also spread to Beirut’s international airport.
According to Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, on Monday morning, the situation at Beirut International Airport was chaotic. Numerous airlines canceled flights, and customers queued in cars outside the terminals.
Khodr from the airport expressed concern that the airport could be targeted. According to our sources, Israeli drones flew overhead all night.
Since they began trading blows in October, Israel and Hezbollah have appeared to be making every effort to avoid a full-fledged war, restricting their strikes to border zones and military objectives.
However, Khodr stated that “there is a lot of concern” in Lebanon that the new round of attacks could be a game changer, escalating threats throughout the country.
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“The question is – will [Israel] hit Lebanon’s infrastructure [in response], or will they hit a Hezbollah target?” She said.
“The other concern is, how will Hezbollah respond? If the answer is measured, the conflict can be contained. But if it is not a calibrated response, we will see this conflict, which was previously contained to the border, expand.”
According to Randa Slim, a senior scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC, Israel, and Hezbollah are not interested in an all-out war that would result in mass displacement of their populations along conflict lines, especially given how long the combat has lasted.
“I don’t think the Israeli prime minister is interested in an all-out conflict right now, partially because a wider battle in Lebanon with Hezbollah would have uncontrollable, unforeseen effects. Because if things escalate, Iran will be involved,” Slim warned.
