BEIRUT- A member of Lebanon’s Hezbollah was killed in Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon on Monday, the group said in a statement, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants expanded to the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Two sources, both close to the Iran-backed Hezbollah, said his death in shelling on a Hezbollah observation post would draw a response from the group.
Hezbollah and Israel fought a brutal month-long war in 2006 and have traded sporadic fire over the border since then while avoiding a major conflict. They exchanged artillery and rocket fire on Sunday.
The man was killed on Monday in Israeli shelling into southern Lebanon prompted by a cross-border raid claimed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which has been fighting alongside Hamas since it launched its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday.
The Israeli army said soldiers backed by helicopters killed at least two gunmen who crossed the frontier.
A Hezbollah official had earlier denied the group was involved.
Some residents of southern Lebanon said they were leaving homes along the border with Israel amid heavy shelling that had so far pounded the outskirts of towns and villages.
The state news agency reported heavy traffic on main roads due to people fleeing the border area and schools in the area will remain closed on Tuesday.
A series of incidents over the past months had already elevated the risk of escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border before the last days of fighting in Israel and Gaza.
Update: 2 more Hezbollah members were reportedly killed according to a press release, they were identified as Raef Fattouni Haider and Hussam Mohammad Ibrahim
Guarantees
This development is taking place despite reports that the Lebanese government has been promised that Hezbollah will not intervene in the Hamas-Israel war,
Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib made the announcement
The minister told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that Hezbollah would only intervene if Israel started the war.
The interview took place in Washington before Hezbollah carried out an attack Sunday “in solidarity” with Hamas, which launched a surprise assault on Israel the day before. Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions in the contested Shebaa Farms border area and Israel retaliated and warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the fight on its southern flank with Hamas.
On Monday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed that the government’s priority is to maintain security in south Lebanon.
The PM met with Bou Habib and the latter said after the meeting that “we want Lebanon to avoid the war.”
Hezbollah made similar guarantees but, didn’t keep its promise in 2006
Update 2: Israeli Channel 14 said: “Initial reports of an anti-tank missile being launched towards Israeli territory from Lebanon.”
Update : 3 TheLebanese Army Command announced, “On October 9, 2023, border areas in the south were bombed by the Israeli enemy. A number of mortar shells fell in the courtyard of a Lebanese army center outside the town of Rmeish, resulting in an officer being slightly injured.”
Update 3 : Schools in south Lebanon to close on Tuesday
The Minister of Education in the caretaker government, Abbas Al-Halabi, announced the suspension of lessons tomorrow, Tuesday, in public and private schools in the south due to the deteriorating security conditions.
(Reuters)/ YA LIBNAN
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.