Israeli Escalation in Southern Lebanon and Hezbollah Confronts Israeli Forces

The Israeli escalation continued yesterday into the late hours of the night, with Israeli artillery positions shelling several towns in the south following intense airstrikes throughout the afternoon that resulted in the death of a woman from Bent Jbeil and a Hezbollah member in an airstrike targeting a vehicle in the town of Kfar. The Israeli army announced the "fall of 3 shells in open areas in western Galilee launched last night from southern Lebanon." The latest nighttime Israeli assault targeted the Marjeyoun plain with three shells. Israeli artillery also struck the towns of Al-Labuna, Hamoul, and the outskirts of Alama al-Shaab in the western sector with 175 mm shells. Additionally, the outskirts of the towns of Mais al-Jabal, Al-Jabin, Tayr Harfa, and Al-Dahira experienced intermittent artillery shelling throughout last night. For its part, Hezbollah announced at midnight on Sunday-Monday that it attacked "an Israeli force in the vicinity of the Zar'it barracks with rocket fire, which was preparing to execute an attack within Lebanese territory, resulting in confirmed casualties among them." Attention is now turning to a new round of confrontations that could signal further Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon.