Tensions are still high between Israel and Lebanon.

The leader of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia, said on Saturday (August 7) ​​that his group had chosen to send rockets into open areas in response to Israeli airstrikes but could carry out more dangerous strikes in the future. .

He said the Islamist group would respond "appropriately and proportionately" to any air raid by Israel.

"We chose cleared areas in the Shebaa farms yesterday to send a message, but we can always take one more step (in escalating tensions)," he said.

Among the options considered is a strike in open areas of the occupied Palestinian territories, such as the Galilee or the Golan Heights.

Same speech from the side of Israeli officials who reiterated on Friday that they did not want an escalation "with a view to a real war", but said they were prepared for it.

"Dangerous developments"

Israel carried out, on Thursday, its first airstrikes on Lebanon since 2014 after the firing, unclaimed, of three rockets from Lebanon into its territory.

Hezbollah responded the next day by launching more than ten rockets at the Jewish state, which responded with artillery fire. 

No strikes were detected on Saturday and no casualties have been reported so far.

In a speech commemorating the end of the July war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006, Hassan Nasrallah said the Israeli fire was "dangerous development" that had not been seen in the past 15 years.

"We do not want to head for a war but we are prepared for," he added.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Friday warned of "a very dangerous situation" and called for an "immediate" ceasefire.

The United States has also urged the Lebanese government to "quickly prevent" Hezbollah militants - considered by Washington to be a "terrorist" organization - from firing rockets at Israel.

This fourth day of escalation in cross-border hostilities comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in the region following the attempted hack of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which Israel and the United States have blamed on the Iran while Tehran has denied any involvement.

With Reuters and AFP

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