Lebanese Hezbollah and the Israeli army exchanged rocket and artillery shelling on Thursday, in a new wave of tension in parallel with the war waged by the occupation on the Gaza Strip for 13 days.
The correspondent of Al Jazeera said that Israeli artillery shelling targeted the vicinity of the towns of Aita al-Shaab and Beit Lev in the central sector of southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it carried out an artillery attack on a position inside Lebanon, from which two rockets were fired at the military outpost of al-Manara west of Kiryat Shmona.
For his part, the IDF spokesman said the shelling targeted a reconnaissance post towards the sea, from which an anti-armor missile was fired on Wednesday towards Ras al-Naqoura. He said the strikes were carried out in response to shootings into Israel over the past 24 hours, he said.
Israel continues to reinforce its forces along its northern border with Lebanon. In recent hours, more heavy war equipment, including tanks and armoured vehicles, has been brought to the border.
The Israeli military spokesman called on residents of areas adjacent to the border with Lebanon, as well as in the southern areas near Gaza, to fully abide by the emergency instructions issued by the army's home front.
On the other hand, Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV reported that it fired a number of Kornet rockets at the Manara colony, opposite the towns of Mays al-Jabal and around the two borders in southern Lebanon.
Al-Jazeera correspondent confirmed that a number of Israeli positions were bombarded with rockets in the western sector of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was quoted as saying that the Jal al-Alam site in the central sector of southern Lebanon was bombarded with guided missiles.
The Al Jazeera correspondent said that sirens sounded a short while ago in the towns of Shomrah and Even Menachem near the Lebanese border, and in Shlomi and Bassa and Hanita in the western Galilee.
Hezbollah's military media broadcast what it said were images of the group's operation on Wednesday afternoon against the Israeli Malikiyah position in the eastern sector of the border.
The photographs showed Hezbollah operatives targeting the al-Malikiyah site and its technical equipment with guided missiles, directly hitting them.
In recent days, the two sides have exchanged sporadic rounds of shelling that have caused deaths on both sides of the Blue Line.
Leaving Lebanon
On the other hand, the embassies of the United States of America and Britain urged their citizens on Thursday to leave Lebanon "as long as commercial options are available," in two new warnings in light of the tension on the southern border with Israel.
In a new warning to its citizens in Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy said: "The State Department urges U.S. citizens in Lebanon to make plans to leave as soon as possible while trade options remain available."
It recommended those wishing to stay to "prepare plans in preparation for emergencies."
Washington on Wednesday raised its travel warning level from third-class to fourth-class, the highest, and advised all Americans not to travel to Lebanon. It also allowed non-essential staff and their families to leave its embassy in Beirut.
The British Embassy in Beirut updated the travel advice to Lebanon. "The Foreign and Development Department now advises against travelling to Lebanon and encourages British citizens intending to leave to do so now, as long as trade options are available," it said in a statement Thursday.
It urged its citizens to "remain vigilant", avoid "any gatherings, marches or processions and follow the instructions of local authorities", repeating the warning that "the situation is unpredictable and could deteriorate without warning".