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Israel-Hamas war: Fears of wider regional conflict as tensions grow on Lebanon border | World News

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It is happening on a daily basis. Hezbollah fighters moving through the hilly shrub lands of southern Lebanon set up and take aim before attacking Israeli positions.

The Israel Defence Forces is responding by striking back at the Iranian-backed militant group, which is designated a terrorist organisation by much of the world.

At the moment the violence is relatively constrained but these are worrying times.

In the middle UN peacekeepers are still out on patrol monitoring the situation.

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There are armoured vehicles snaking along the roads but they are very concerned about where the violence is heading.

“It is a very concerning moment,” Andrea Tenenti, spokesman for the mission told Sky News.

“… It is a very concerning moment, a very tense moment. But we are still on the ground. Our troops have not left.

“We have over 10,500 troops from 49 different countries… But we need to be very careful because this exchange of fire is going on, on a daily basis, all along the blue line.”

UN peacekeepers on patrol
Image:
UN peacekeepers on patrol

Arab countries are warning the longer the bombing of Gaza goes on the greater the chance of a wider regional conflict.

The Saudi Arabian foreign minister has claimed what’s happening in southern Israel is a “flagrant and unjustified violation of international law committed against the Palestinian people”.

And the atmosphere across the Middle East is febrile.

There are now protests almost every day at what is seen here as a grave injustice.

Children at a camp of internally displaced people in Tyre, Lebanon
Image:
Children at a camp of internally displaced people in Tyre, Lebanon

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The Israeli military says it does not want to see any escalation on its northern border but its troops are ready if the attacks continue.

Already tens of thousands have been displaced from their communities.

And in Lebanon it’s the same. People are moving to safety.

Families from villages in the south are fearful another war is coming and that it will be even more destructive than what happened in 2006.

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At a camp for those who have sought refuge from the fighting, Iman Iskandar said there is a lot of anxiety among the displaced.

“We left our homes because of security issues at the borders of the country, because of the bombing and the war that is going on. We are conditioned to this pattern, but we pray that it never expands.”

So far the fighting has been contained to the border areas. But with no obvious end to this crisis, it won’t take much to spark a wider war.



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