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Israel launched airstrikes near the northeastern Lebanese town of Baalbek, targeting what it said were Hezbollah sites in the second attack by Israeli forces deep in Lebanon in two weeks.
Monday’s attacks killed at least one person and wounded several others, said Bashir Khader, governor of Baalbek.
The Israel Defense Forces said its warplanes targeted sites used by “Iran-backed Hezbollah air forces which have planned and carried out various attacks” against Israel.
The attacks are said to be in retaliation for Hezbollah attacks launched against the occupied Golan Heights, as near-daily clashes between Israeli forces and the Lebanese militant group have intensified.
Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in tit-for-tat attacks since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and launching a retaliatory offensive against the Palestinian militant group in Gaza that has killed more than 30,000 people, according to health officials in the enclave.
The war triggered a wave of hostility across the Middle East. The clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah were concentrated mainly in the border areas between Lebanon and Israel.
But in recent weeks, Israel has expanded its targets, hitting the Lebanese town of Ghaziyeh, about 5 km south of the coastal city of Sidon, as well as Jadra, a town just 30 km south of the capital Beirut, and locations near in Baalbek.
The hostilities have forced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border to flee their homes and raised growing concerns that a provocation or miscalculation by one side could spark a full-blown conflict.
Fighting has killed more than 200 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters.
According to the Israeli army, at least seven Israeli civilians and 11 soldiers have been killed by Hezbollah fire since October.
Hezbollah, which is the dominant political and military force in Lebanon, fought a month-long war with Israel in 2006 and is one of the most heavily armed non-state actors in the world.
The United States is leading diplomatic efforts to de-escalate hostilities, but those efforts are struggling to make progress as the war in Gaza continues.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said his group would not stop its attacks on Israel until a comprehensive ceasefire was agreed in Gaza.
Israeli officials insisted that Hezbollah fighters had to withdraw from the border region to allow around 80,000 displaced people to return to their homes in northern Israel.
They said Israel was committed to the diplomatic process, but also warned that the Jewish state would use force if necessary against Hezbollah.
After meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “Hezbollah’s aggression is bringing us closer to a critical point in decision-making regarding our military activities in Lebanon.”