The Israeli army announced military drills near the border with Lebanon on Tuesday, weeks after an exchange of fire sharply raised tensions between the country and Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah.
The artillery drills are pre-planned and not the result of a security assessment, the military said in a statement reported by Israeli media.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun called on the United Nations to respond to Israel’s alleged violations of Lebanese airspace, amid heightened tensions along the border https://t.co/mJsIXPOAmX
— Al-Monitor (@AlMonitor) August 23, 2021
Earlier this month, Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets near Israeli positions in the area – the first direct attack on Israeli territory claimed by the group since 2019.
The attack was an apparent response to an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon the previous day, itself the first Israeli air raids on Lebanon in seven years.
In @NationalComment:
Jean-Loup Samaan explains why the relatively calm Lebanon-Israel border is heating up againhttps://t.co/oJbH2l9DRK— The National (@TheNationalNews) August 23, 2021
After the exchange, Israeli said it did “not wish to escalate to a full war”. Hezbollah echoed that de-escalatory tone but vowed a “suitable and proportionate” response to any Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.
(The New Arab, PC, Social Media)
