Israeli artillery targets southern Lebanon with incendiary bombs
An Al Jazeera correspondent reports that the Israeli army has bombed the outskirts of the town of Kfarchouba in southern Lebanon with incendiary shells.
The Lebanese News Agency also confirmed that Israeli artillery bombarded the town of Aita al-Shaab in the south of the country with firebombs, causing fires to break out in the surrounding woods.
UK embassy denies it warned Lebanon of upcoming Israeli attack
The UK embassy has dismissed a Lebanese media report that it issued a warning to Lebanon that Israel is planning an extensive assault in mid-June.
“We reject reports that the UK has suggested, let alone sent diplomatic message to Lebanese authorities that Israel will conduct military operations in June,” said a UK embassy spokesperson in a statement, adding that it is not the UK’s role to “comment on Israel’s military planning”.
“The UK continues to work towards de-escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon,” the spokesperson added. “Our engagement with both sides is focused on generating the conditions for stability and security on the Blue Line. We are clear a conflict is not in anybody’s interest”.
On potential Israel-Lebanon escalation, ‘actors are no longer rational’
We reported earlier that Netanyahu has toured Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and said the country is prepared for strong action in the north.
According to Karim Bitar, an associate research fellow with the Institute for International and Strategic Affairs in Paris, the risk of an escalation between the two countries “has considerably increased”.
“Even though it is in nobody’s interest to see a wider escalation, it appears that many actors are no longer rational,” he told Al Jazeera. “Emotions are running extremely high, and any miscalculation could lead to a wider conflagration.”
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for the past eight months in parallel with the war on Gaza, raising concerns that an even wider conflict could break out between the heavily armed adversaries.
“There are also domestic political considerations at play in Israel. According to polls, the majority of the Israeli public wants a confrontation with Hezbollah. Some members of the war cabinet are also in favour of a wider war and are calling for a new occupation of south Lebanon,” Bitar said.
“The US is approaching elections and is unwilling to use the considerable leverage it has on Israel in order for it to exercise restraint. Israel will refuse a return to the status quo and hopes it will be able to change the rules of the game,” Bitar added.
The hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have been their worst since they waged war in 2006, and tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to leave their homes.
“However, [Israel] could get more than what it bargained for if it decides to attack Lebanon. Hezbollah is considerably stronger than Hamas, and the events of the past few months have shown that Israel was unable to eradicate Hamas. If Israel attacks, it will be a devastating blow for Lebanon, but it will also prove to be very counterproductive for Israel,” Bitar added.
At least 10 injured in drone attack in Galilee: Report
Israeli media has posted videos on X showing an explosion and smoke rising as a result of a drone attack on the town of Hurfeish in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel.
According to Israel Hayom, at least 10 people have been injured, one of them seriously.
Shells fired from Lebanon hit Hurfeish without activating the sirens: Army spokesperson
We have more information about the explosion in the Galilee, northern Israel. Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reports that 11 people have now been injured in the town of Hurfeish.
The Israeli army spokesperson said that shells were fired from Lebanon and landed in the Hurfeish area, without activating the sirens.
