Border Clashes Reignite as Gaza Truce Looms

On Monday, Hezbollah reported the loss of three of its members following Israeli artillery bombardments targeting areas in southern Lebanon, including Dhaira, Tayr Harfa, al-Jebbayn, and Zibqine.

Subsequently, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching two attacks against Israeli positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms area. In retaliation, Israel conducted airstrikes on several Lebanese border towns such as Mays al-Jabal, Rashaya al-Fokhar, Baraachit, al-Labbouneh, al-Naqoura, and Shihine.

Overnight, Israeli warplanes had targeted Yaroun and Maroun al-Rass, two towns near the southern border, following Hezbollah’s attacks on Sunday against six locations in northern Israel, including three in the Shebaa Farms.

For the first time, local media reported attacks by Amal, Hezbollah’s ally, on Sunday. Although Amal hadn’t previously declared any attacks on Israel since the onset of the Hezbollah-Israel conflict on October 8, they did announce the death of an Amal fighter from an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on November 11. Additionally, this strike resulted in injuries to two Amal members.

In another incident, two Amal fighters were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday night in the southern border town of Blida. During the funeral procession for these fighters on Sunday, Israeli artillery bombarded the town, and soldiers fired machine guns from the nearby Bayad Blida post. Despite this, the funeral procession continued.

This incident mirrors previous actions by Israel, as they have conducted airstrikes and shelled areas near funeral processions of Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, including in towns like Aita al-Shaab, Aytaroun, and Kfarkila, over the past few months of daily clashes.

Nabih Berri, the leader of Amal and Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, stated on Sunday that Amal is actively resisting in the south, albeit with military capabilities significantly lesser than those of Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently indicated that any potential ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza would not extend to the ongoing confrontations with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

These remarks emerged amidst ongoing mediated discussions between Israel and Hamas for a potential agreement. This agreement might involve the return of 136 hostages, with nearly three dozen confirmed deceased, in exchange for the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian security prisoners and an extended ceasefire.

Since the beginning of the war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has seen almost daily exchanges of fire, predominantly between the Israeli military and Hezbollah.

Interestingly, a weeklong truce in late November, which resulted in the release of 105 hostages, saw a temporary cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah along the northern border, even though this was not a stipulated part of the ceasefire agreement facilitated by Qatar and Egypt between Israel and Hamas.