Deadly Clashes on Lebanon's Border Claim Lives of Israeli Soldier and Militants

An Israeli military officer was killed in a clash with militants near the border with Lebanon on Monday. The Israeli military confirmed that troops and aircraft had killed two "terrorist infiltrators" who had crossed into Israeli territory. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed that these individuals were members of their group. In response to mortar fire, the Israeli military attacked sites in Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of three militants from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement. This incident occurred on the same day as attacks were launched from Lebanon for the second consecutive day and coincided with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. The United States has warned Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful military force, not to open another front. The violence began when armed men crossed the frontier near the Lebanese town of Dhayra and were subsequently killed by Israeli troops, supported by helicopter gunships. Two militants were killed while one managed to escape back into Lebanon. Palestinian Islamic Jihad referred to this infiltration as "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," which is the name given by Hamas, another militant group, for their assault on southern Israeli communities from Gaza. The Israeli military also carried out helicopter attacks on Hezbollah positions inside Lebanon, targeting two observation posts, following two mortar bomb firings into Israel that did not cause any casualties. Hezbollah responded by launching rockets and mortar shells at two Israeli military barracks. On the previous day, Hezbollah had fired shells and rockets at Israeli military positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms/Mount Dov area, claiming it was an act of solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and possesses long-range rockets that can reach deep into Israeli territory, has threatened to intervene in the Israel-Gaza conflict if certain "red lines" are crossed, including an Israeli invasion. A senior US defense official expressed concern about Hezbollah potentially opening another front in the conflict.