Israel, Hezbollah trade fire across turbulent border
JERUSALEM — Hezbollah militants fired a barrage of antitank missiles from Lebanon into Israel on Sunday, prompting a reprisal of heavy Israeli artillery fire in a rare burst of fighting between the avowed enemies.
Although the shooting subsided without casualties on either side, the situation remained volatile. The bitter foes, who fought a monthlong war in 2006, have indicated they do not want to go to war but appeared on a collision course in recent days after a pair of Israeli strikes against Hezbollah. The militant group vowed it would retaliate.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri held telephone calls with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron urging the international community to calm the situation. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said it was in contact with all sides and urged restraint.
U.N. spokesman Andrea Tenenti said later that “calm has returned in the area” and the U.N. peacekeeping force is maintaining its presence on the ground together with the Lebanese army.
By nightfall, the fighting appeared to have halted. But Israeli officials said troops remained on high alert.
“We are consulting about the next steps,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “I have ordered that we be prepared for any scenario.”
Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, and Iranbacked Hezbollah to be its most immediate military threat. Hezbollah has a battletested army that has been fighting alongside the forces of President Bashar Assad in Syria’s civil war, and it is believed to possess an arsenal of some 130,000 missiles and rockets.
Throughout the Syrian war, Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of air strikes in Syria aimed at preventing alleged Iranian arms transfers to Hezbollah. But in recent weeks, Israel is believed to have widened its campaign and struck Iranian or Hezbollah targets in Iraq and Lebanon as well.
Last weekend, Israeli warplanes thwarted what Israel said was an attempt by Iran to launch a squad of attack drones based in Syria. Two Hezbollah operatives were killed in the strike, and Hezbollah has sworn revenge.
The Israeli army believes that Iran and Hezbollah are racing to establish missile-production factories in Lebanon — a claim that Hezbollah denies.
In Sunday’s fighting, Israel said Hezbollah fired two or three antitank missiles at an Israeli military base alone the border. The army said the base, as well as a military ambulance, suffered damage. The military said it responded with about 100 artillery shells, as well as helicopter fire. Josef Federman and Bassem Mroue are Associated Press writers.