BEIRUT — Israel and Hezbollah engaged in heavy cross-border fighting on Saturday, escalating tensions in the region. The clashes occurred a day after Hezbollah’s leader called for retaliation against Israel for the targeted killing of a top Hamas leader in Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that if his group did not strike back, all of Lebanon would be vulnerable to Israeli attacks.
As the risk of regional escalation loomed, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarked on an urgent Middle East diplomatic tour, his fourth since the Israel-Hamas war began three months ago. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also voiced the need to prevent Lebanon from being dragged into a regional conflict.
Hezbollah claimed to have launched 62 rockets toward an Israeli air surveillance base on Mount Meron and the rockets allegedly struck two army posts near the border. In response, the Israeli military stated that about 40 rockets were fired toward Meron, and they targeted and struck the Hezbollah cell responsible for the rocket fire.
Israeli airstrikes hit the outskirts of Kouthariyeh al-Siyad, a village in southern Lebanon, causing casualties. Such strikes farther inside Lebanon have been infrequent since the border fighting began. Meanwhile, the armed wing of the Islamic Group in Lebanon fired rockets towards the Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona, resulting in the death of Saleh Arouri, the deputy political leader of Hamas.
The ongoing war in Gaza has resulted in a significant number of casualties, with the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reporting 122 Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 22,722 since the start of the conflict. Although Israel has attributed civilian casualties to Hamas embedding itself within Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, international criticism has grown due to the rising death toll.
Blinken, in his diplomatic tour, sought support for plans to reconstruct Gaza following the war. He also aimed to prevent the conflict from spreading further. His other stops include Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
The situation in the region remains tense, with incidents occurring in the Red Sea, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran. A drone launched from Yemen, controlled by the Houthi militant group, was intercepted by a U.S. destroyer near commercial vessels in the Red Sea, according to the U.S. Central Command.
The clashes between Israel, Hezbollah, and other groups continue to fuel concerns about the potential for wider regional conflict. Both sides have suffered casualties, and the death toll in Gaza has risen. The diplomatic efforts of Secretary of State Blinken and others aim to manage the conflict and rebuild Gaza. The situation remains fluid and ongoing.