Israel has attacked targets in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired several anti-tank rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for a reported Israeli drone attack in Beirut last week.
The Israel Defence Force said “two or three anti-tank missiles” were fired from southern Lebanon toward an army base and a military ambulance, with no deaths or injuries.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said Israel had fired back with approximately 100 artillery shells and that attack helicopters had also struck the area.
The exchanges have heightened speculation that there could be a major conflict between the old foes. Haaretz reports that Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, has said Israel is ready for any scenario.
Tensions have been rising between Israel and Hezbollah, with the leader of the Shia militant group, Hassan Nasrallah, warning on Saturday that all options were open to counter Israeli drones violating Lebanon's sovereignty.
Israeli news website Ynet says the Israeli army is “readying for war with Hezbollah”.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has accused Netanyahu of using military operations for political gain before the upcoming election. “It's unquestionably pure politics and prime minister Netanyahu does it unstoppably,” he said.
Accusing Netanyahu of scaremongering, he added: “He makes it look like we are standing before a horrible threat, and he steers the wheel to spare us from the threat in the North and in the South.”
It is 13 years since Israel went to war with Hezbollah. Reuters says that the month-long conflict in 2006 killed nearly 1,200 Lebanese people, mostly civilians, and 165 Israelis.
Whether the latest exchange of fire leads to a new sustained conflict remains to be seen but residents in northern Israel were sheltering in bunkers yesterday, evoking memories of the 2006 war.
The Guardian reports that Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, has said the country is “ready and willing to defend Israel’s citizens wherever they are, without hesitation”.
-
China’s single mothers are teaming upUnder the Radar To cope with money pressures and work commitments, single mums are sharing homes, bills and childcare
-
Employees are branching out rather than moving up with career minimalismThe explainer From career ladder to lily pad
-
‘It is their greed and the pollution from their products that hurt consumers’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Israel jolted by ‘shocking’ settler violenceIN THE SPOTLIGHT A wave of brazen attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank has prompted a rare public outcry from Israeli officials
-
Why these Iraqi elections are so importantThe Explainer The US and Israel are increasingly pressuring Baghdad to tackle Iran-backed militants, while weakened Iran sees Iraq as a vital remaining ally
-
Israel arrests ex-IDF legal chief over abuse video leakSpeed Read Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi had resigned from her post last week
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Gaza’s reconstruction: the steps to rebuildingIn The Spotlight Even the initial rubble clearing in Gaza is likely to be fraught with difficulty and very slow
