Israeli forces struck militant group Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to the group’s anti-tank missile at an Israeli army position, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Wednesday.
The Israeli military claimed its aircraft struck the area where Hezbollah launched its missile earlier this week and a military observation post belonging to the group in southern Lebanon.
Israeli shelling injured three civilians in the town of Marwahin in southern Lebanon and damaged around 10 houses, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported. The outlet claimed the attacks prompted “escalating” fires in Marwahin and the town of Al-Dhahira
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, argued its recent attack was retaliation for the deaths of three fighters, who were reportedly killed during Israeli strikes Monday.
The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel comes as the Jewish state ramps up its counteroffensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which launched a surprise attack against the country. The initial strikes left hundreds dead — mostly civilians.
Hezbollah and Israel also exchanged fire Sunday, with the Lebanese group reportedly claiming it fired off guided rockets and artillery to show it stands “in solidarity” with the Palestinian people.
An Israeli military spokesperson on Tuesday later warned of “very severe consequences” if Hezbollah joined the rising conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Hezbollah has engaged in fighting with Israeli forces in recent years, prompting concerns from the U.S. and its allies that the militant group will exploit Israel’s war with Hamas to initiate a second front in the conflict.
“No other party hostile to Israel should try to exploit these despicable attacks,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday while in Brussels, Belgium.
Israel continues to ramp up its retaliatory attacks against Hamas, destroying several neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip. Food, water and medical supplies are running low after Israel ordered a complete siege over such supplies in Gaza.
The death toll continued to climb Wednesday to an estimated 2,200 lives on both sides, with numbers expected to keep rising, according to The Associated Press.
Gaza’s Health Ministry estimated around 1,055 Palestinians have been killed so far in the conflict, with thousands of others injured.