Lebanon is scrambling to prevent a full-blown conflict with Israel after a deadly rocket attack on a Druze town in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday.
The attack, which killed 12 children and teenagers, has heightened tensions between the two countries.
Israel has blamed the Lebanese group Hezbollah for the attack, but the group has denied responsibility.
Despite this, fears of a wider war have grown, with Israel vowing a forceful response.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister AbdullahBou Habib said on Sunday that his country has received assurances from international powers that any Israeli retaliation will be “limited,” as will any subsequent response from Hezbollah.
However, Bou Habib also acknowledged that Hezbollah, and not the Lebanese state, is the primary actor in any potential conflict with Israel.
The Israeli Security Cabinet has authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to determine the timing and nature of a response to the rocket attack.
The escalation comes as Israel is already engaged in a devastating war against Hamas in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 39,300 Palestinians since October.
The Golan Heights, a strategic region captured by Israel in the 1967 war and annexed in 1981, has been a flashpoint between Israel and Syria for decades.
The recent rocket attack and Israel’s threatened response have raised concerns about the potential for a wider regional conflict.
