Israeli forces carried out airstrikes Wednesday in southern Lebanon in the latest attacks targeting Hezbollah militants.
Israel’s military said its strikes focused on Hezbollah infrastructure, and that Israeli forces also used artillery fire to respond to Hezbollah threats in the area.
Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel, with the Israeli military saying it intercepted some rockets while others fell into open areas without any damage or casualties.
The cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have raised concerns about an enlarged conflict in the region with Israeli forces also battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the Israel-Hezbollah fighting during a phone call Tuesday, the U.S. Defense Department said.
Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement that the defense chiefs also talked about a temporary pier the United States erected on the Gaza coast to provide another avenue for bringing in humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians. The pier has experienced a number of issues, including rough seas that caused it to be detached, and Austin told Gallant that the effort will be shut down soon.
“The secretary stressed the importance of increasing the flow of humanitarian assistance through all land crossings and supporting aid deliveries to Ashdod Port in Israel for onward distribution in Gaza,” Ryder said.
The Pentagon said Austin also “reaffirmed the shared desire of ensuring the enduring defeat of Hamas and securing the safe release of all the hostages held captive by Hamas.”
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to negotiate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages still held in Gaza, along with a halt in fighting and a surge of humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians.
Hamas took about 250 people hostage and killed about 1,200 people during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza have killed more than 38,700 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
Nearly three-quarters of Gaza’s 2.3 million population are displaced, and nearly the entire population is at risk of famine, according to the United Nations.
Israeli officials announced Tuesday they will begin to send draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to fight in the war in Gaza. They were exempt until a Supreme Court ruling in June.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties in its coalition.
The decision is expected to cause some tension within the country, with protests previously taking place when the government attempted to enlist ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.
