As Israel’s cross-border fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah reaches new heights, fears of a ground war grow

Kim Sengupta reports from northern Israel on the rising threat of the conflict in Gaza spilling into Israeli boots on the ground in Lebanon, with no end in sight to the barrages of missiles being traded

An Israeli airstrike on a village in southern Lebanon last week (AFP/Getty)

Hezbollah carried out one of the largest attacks in five months of escalating conflict on the border between Lebanon and Israel this week, firing more than a hundred rockets, and vowing that the barrages would continue.

The strikes on Tuesday led to Israel’s hardline national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanding a “war now” while criticising defence minister Yoav Gallant for not seeking severe retribution: “What are you waiting for? Over 100 rockets fired and you sit quietly? We have to start responding, attacking.”

Hezbollah said it had launched the Katyusha missiles in response to Israeli air raids in the Bekaa Valley 24 hours earlier, and also to show continuing support for Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli military did, in fact, respond immediately, hitting Hezbollah targets near Baalbek. One man was killed, eight injured and a warehouse destroyed. It was the second time in a fortnight that sorties had been carried out so deep into Lebanon. A drone strike on a car near Tyre followed, killing two others.