Border skirmishes: Israel shells south Lebanon following mortar shells
An Israeli tank shell hit Monday a house in the town of Aita al-Shaab, causing no casualties. The Israeli army also shelled with white phosphorus and flares the Shebaa valley, Halta, Bastra and Kfarshouba after it had fired 12 shells, including white phosphorus bombs, on the outskirts of the Israeli al-Raheb post near the southern town of Aita al-Shaab.
Israeli warplanes had also targeted at dawn al-Labbouneh, near the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura, and fired 15 shells at al-Musheirifa.
Hezbollah later announced that it has successfully targeted Israeli technical and espionage equipment in al-Metula, Ras al-Naqoura, Jal al-Alam, Branit, and al-Bayyad post facing the town of Blida "with appropriate weapons," as Israel shelled Blida, Marwahin, Ras al-Naqoura, the towns of Kfarkela and Deir Mimas, and the outskirts of Yarin and Jibbayn.
Hezbollah announced Monday the death of one of its fighters, raising the death toll on the Lebanese side to at least 62 people — 48 of them Hezbollah fighters but also including Palestinian militants and four civilians.
Israeli officials have reported at least four deaths, including one civilian.
Hezbollah had shot down Sunday an Israeli drone over Israeli territory using a surface-to-air missile and targeted multiple Israeli army positions, as cross-border exchanges have become an almost daily occurrence since October 7.
Also on Sunday, Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement its fighters in Lebanon had launched 16 rockets at Nahariya, a coastal town in Israel's Galilee region, "in response to the crimes of the occupation (Israel) against our people in Gaza". The armed branch of Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya also said it had fired "targeted rockets" at the Israeli border town of Kiryat Shmona, the NNA reported.
There are fears that if Hezbollah were to launch its own war with Israel, the conflict could spill over into the wider region.
Nearly 29,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon due to the clashes, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Source: Naharnet, Agence France Presse
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