Israeli warplanes carried out late on Thursday their most intense strikes on south Lebanon in nearly a year of war, Lebanese security sources said, heightening the conflict between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah amid calls for restraint.
The White House said a diplomatic solution was achievable and urgent, and Britain called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The US is “afraid and concerned about potential escalation”, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing.
The intense barrage followed attacks earlier in the week attributed by Lebanon and Hezbollah to Israel that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers, killing 37 people and wounding about 3,000 in Lebanon.
In Thursday’s late operation, Israel launched dozens of bombs across southern Lebanon, three Lebanese security sources said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Israeli radio stations reported that dozens of fighter aircraft struck Hezbollah targets including around 100 rocket launchers. Israel’s military did not confirm the shelling but said earlier it had struck dozens of Hezbollah targets, including rocket launchers and weapon depots in southern Lebanon.