Israel Kills Two, Injures Five in Southern Lebanon Attacks

Nearly daily attacks back and forth across the Lebanon-Israel border continued today, with an Israeli drone strike hitting a motorbike in Mays al-Jabal close to the Israel border, killing two riders and injuring a child. Those killed were reported by the Israeli military to be Hezbollah members, but that has not been confirmed.

Further attacks hit various targets across southern Lebanon, with reports of several other injuries over the course of the early day, bringing the total injured to five, apparently all civilians.

The attacks come after a weekend rocket strike which killed 12 civilians in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli government was quick to blame Hezbollah for the rocket strike, which hit a Druze community, but Hezbollah denied responsibility, and Lebanon has pointed out that Hezbollah attacks almost exclusively attack Israeli military targets, not civilians.

Whatever proves to be the case, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is promising a “harsh” response militarily against Hezbollah for the incident. This has led to warnings internationally that the Israeli response could lead to international war.

Israeli diplomatic sources said an international war would not be in Israel’s interest, and they doubt any retaliation they launch will lead to such an all-out war.

While further Israeli attack escalations are a given, analysts say they do not believe today’s attacks on southern Lebanon amount to the beginning of Israel’s “retaliation” against the Majdal Shams incident, but rather is just a continuation of general attacks on targets in southern Lebanon.