The Israeli military has conducted airstrikes on villages and towns in southern and eastern Lebanon in response to accusations that Hezbollah fired a rocket, killing 12 Druze youths in Majdal Shams, a town in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
However, Hezbollah has denied involvement in the attack.
The airstrikes have sharply escalated tensions in the ongoing hostilities, which are occurring alongside the Gaza war, raising concerns of a possible full-scale conflict between the heavily armed adversaries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that "Hezbollah will pay a heavy price, the kind it has thus far not paid," according to a statement from his office following a phone call with the leader of the Druze community.
Hezbollah responded with a written statement, stating: "The Islamic Resistance has absolutely nothing to do with the incident, and categorically denies all false allegations in this regard."
The Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War in 1967, was formally annexed by Israel in 1981, a move not recognized internationally.
The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly called for Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights, considering it to be part of Syrian territory.