As part of a diplomatic agreement with Hezbollah, Israel demanded that Hezbollah withdraw its forces north of the Litani River in Lebanon, in line with the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war between the two sides. The resolution states that only UN forces and Lebanese troops can enter the area, but both sides have accused each other of violating this.
Analysts say Hezbollah is unlikely to withdraw its troops from the border. Instead, French mediators proposed a smaller buffer zone extending about six miles beyond the Lebanese-Israeli border and increasing the number of Lebanese troops stationed in the border area.
Without agreeing to stop the attacks, both sides opted for a limited escalation, with Hezbollah firing hundreds of rockets and Israel striking deeper into Lebanese territory. Analysts and officials say that although neither Israel nor Hezbollah appears to want an all-out war, a miscalculation could bring the two sides together.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in southern Lebanon, prompting Hezbollah to respond by firing its heaviest barrage of rockets in the current conflict against Israel.
Hezbollah fired an additional 70 rockets on Friday, setting off sirens across northern Israel but causing little reported damage, the Israeli military said. The Israeli military said it responded with artillery fire.
Lebanese security officials said the rocket launch was in retaliation for an overnight Israeli attack targeting a three-story building in southern Lebanon that killed two people. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said there was no indication that a Hezbollah commander had been killed in the attack. The Israeli military declined to comment on the strike.
Hezbollah attacks on Thursday wounded four people in Israel, including two soldiers. Falling rockets, Israeli interceptors and debris have also fueled wildfires that have burned more than 11,000 acres in Israel over the past two weeks, according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
