Israel and Hizbollah exchange border fire

Lebanese prime minister asks for support from US and France as barrages raise regional tensions

INCREASING tension between Israel and Hizbollah threatened to boil over yesterday as they fired missiles and artillery at each other over the southern Lebanon border.

Saad Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister, contacted Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State and the adviser to Emmanuel Macron, the French president, asking for US and French support along the southern border.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, announced an order to be “prepared for any scenario”.

Shortly after 3pm local time, the first of several anti-tank missiles was launched from southern Lebanon at military targets in northern Israel.

The Israeli army responded by deploying a military helicopter and firing a barrage of around 100 artillery shells back over the Lebanese border.

Neither side reported any casualties, but it was the most significant escalation between the two since January 2015, when clashes saw two Israeli soldiers killed.

The latest cross-border duel follows a month where both sides have pushed the other’s defences.

Last week, two drones came down over a Hizbollah media centre in southern Beirut. One exploded in mid-air and the other came down in pieces large enough for Hizbollah to register a significant threat and a likely origin.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbollah’s leader, declared that things were “different now” and warned that Israelis everywhere should not rest easy.

An Israeli military spokesman called yesterday’s clashes “tactical events” against the backdrop of “strategic threats” posed by Hizbollah.

Analysts believe a major conflict still doesn’t look likely due to both sides preferring détente.

“The likelihood of an all-out war is low,” said Elizabeth Tsurkov, Fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute. “Since 2006, Hizbollah has not only replenished its stocks of rockets and missiles, but grown them significantly. Hizbollah is capable of hitting every point across Israel with waves upon waves of rockets and missiles.

“Hizbollah also gained ground combat experience in Syria, where it intervened to help preserve the regime in power,” she added.

“On the other side, Israel is capable of obliterating Lebanon.

“Both parties are aware of the other’s capabilities, and as a result, are much more careful to avoid an escalation that will lead to conflict.”