As part of a diplomatic solution with Hezbollah, Israel demands that it withdraw its forces from Lebanon north of the Litani River in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war between the two countries, which says only UN and Lebanese forces are allowed in the area, but each side accuses the other of violating that resolution.
Analysts say Hezbollah is unlikely to withdraw its forces from the border, and French mediators have instead proposed a small buffer zone stretching about six miles beyond the Lebanese-Israeli border and an increased presence of Lebanese army troops in the border area.
Without an agreement to stop the attacks, both sides opted for a limited escalation, with Hezbollah firing hundreds of rockets and Israel striking deep into Lebanese territory. Analysts and officials say neither Israel nor Hezbollah want all-out war, but a miscalculation could push the two sides into conflict.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an attack in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah responded by firing its most powerful rockets of the current conflict towards Israel.
On Friday, Hezbollah fired a further 70 rockets, setting off sirens in northern Israel, but the Israeli military said it reported few damage and responded with artillery fire.
A Lebanese security official said the rocket attack was in retaliation for Israeli forces’ attack last night on a three-story building in southern Lebanon, killing two people. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said there was no indication that a Hezbollah commander was killed in the attack. The Israeli military declined to comment on the attack.
A Hezbollah attack wounded four people in Israel, including two soldiers, on Thursday. Falling rockets, Israeli interceptor missiles and debris have also sparked wildfires that have burned more than 11,000 acres in Israel in the past two weeks, according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
