Hezbollah claims to thwart Israeli infiltration attempts into Lebanon

Hezbollah claimed to thwart two separate Israeli attempts to enter Lebanese territory late Sunday evening, saying it struck Israeli soldiers "directly" with rockets and artillery shells.

According to a statement by the group, two groups of Israeli forces attempted to cross into Lebanese territory from the town of Ramya along the central part of the Lebanese border and the town of Rmeish in the west.

The two infiltration attempts occurred within half an hour of one another.

This would be the first time that Israeli troops attempted to enter Lebanon since the beginning of cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in the wake of Hamas's 7 October surprise operation.

Neither Israeli media nor officials made any comment regarding the alleged infiltration attempt.

Clashes over the last seventy-two hours were particularly violent, with Israeli strikes killing nine members of Hezbollah and causing significant material destruction in the border towns of Houla and Blida.

At least 229 members of Hezbollah have been killed since clashes began, according to a tally by L'Orient Today. At least ten Israeli soldiers and six Israeli civilians have been killed, though Hezbollah claims the casualty figure is more significant.

Last week, Israel killed two civilians — a couple in their seventies — in the town of Kafra in South Lebanon, the latest in a series of strikes that killed civilians.

Hezbollah has said that any attacks that target civilians will prompt more severe retaliation from the group.

Diplomats have been engaged in shuttle mediation between Israel and Hezbollah to try to avoid a full-scale war between the two groups.

US mediator Amos Hochstein was in Beirut on Monday, with unnamed sources reportedly claiming his visit would "carry new developments" regarding tensions between Lebanon and Israel.

Hezbollah has repeatedly said it would not stop fighting until a ceasefire in Gaza is achieved, while Israel said a ceasefire in Gaza would not include Lebanon.

Instead, Israel has said it will use a ceasefire in Gaza to redouble its focus on its front with Lebanon.