A flurry of diplomatic activity is underway to contain an expected Israeli response against Hezbollah, Lebanon’s top diplomat said, after an attack blamed on the group killed civilians in the annexed Golan Heights.
On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had vowed to “hit the enemy hard” after rocket fire from Lebanon killed 12 minors, raisings fears the war in Gaza could spread.
Israel has accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement of firing a Falaq-1 Iranian rocket, but the Iran-backed group — which has regularly targeted Israeli military positions — said it had “no connection” to the incident.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the United States, France and others were trying to contain the escalation, in an interview late Sunday with local broadcaster Al-Jadeed.
“Israel will escalate in a limited way and Hezbollah will respond in a limited way… These are the assurances we’ve received,” Bou Habib said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati had also said that “talks are ongoing with international, European and Arab sides to protect Lebanon and ward off dangers,” in a statement Sunday.
The rocket fire in Majdal Shams, whose population is Arabic-speaking Druze, prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return early from the United States.
On Sunday, the White House said the deadly rocket fire was “conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah”.
National Security Council Spokeswoman Adrienne Watson also said the US had been “in continuous discussions” with Israel and Lebanon since the attack.
Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israel in support of Hamas since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip.
It has evacuated positions in south and east Lebanon after Israeli threats of reprisals, a source close to the group told AFP.
The cross-border violence since October has killed at least 527 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally, most of them fighters but also including 104 civilians.
On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.