Tension escalates between Israel and Hezbollah...

Israel and Hezbollah traded heavy fire across the Lebanon border on Monday, marking a dangerous escalation in the widening regional conflict following recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

CBI News reports that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, launched rockets and drones targeting northern Israel, including areas near Haifa and a military base, claiming the attacks as retaliation for Khamenei's killing and ongoing Israeli aggressions. Sirens blared across northern Israel as projectiles triggered air defences.

In response, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) conducted widespread airstrikes on Hezbollah positions throughout Lebanon, including strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs, southern villages, and the Bekaa Valley. Lebanese health authorities reported at least 31 people killed and 149 injured in the strikes, with explosions rocking the capital and areas near the airport.

The IDF ordered evacuations for residents of more than 50 villages in southern Lebanon and described the operation as an "offensive campaign" against Hezbollah, vowing sustained action over several days. Israel targeted senior Hezbollah commanders and infrastructure, accusing the group of escalating under Iranian direction.

The tit-for-tat exchanges shatter a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire from late 2024 and open a new front in the broader U.S.-Israel confrontation with Iran and its proxies. The conflict, now in its third day since major strikes on Iran, has already caused soaring oil prices, disrupted air travel, and raised global fears of a full-scale regional war.

International calls for restraint have grown, but both sides show no immediate signs of de-escalation, with Hezbollah vowing defence of Lebanon and Israel promising to neutralise threats.