Israel military 'warns' of escalation with Hezbollah amid cross-border fire increase

Intensified cross-border fire from Lebanese group Hezbollah into Israel could "trigger serious escalation," the Israeli military claimed on Sunday.

"Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region," Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video statement in English.

Iran-backed Hezbollah last week launched the largest volleys of rockets and drones yet in the eight months it has been exchanging fire with the Israeli military, in parallel with Israel's war on Gaza.

Israel and the Lebanese group have exchanged near-daily cross-border fire since the start of the war in Gaza, which has prompted scores of those living by the border to evacuate.

Israel's attacks on Lebanon have killed 472 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters, but also civilians and journalists.

Earlier on Monday, one Lebanese was killed by a drone strike in the outskirts of the country's Chehabiyeh village.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities say at least 15 Israeli soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north.

After the relatively heavy exchanges over the past week, Sunday saw a marked drop in Hezbollah fire, while the Israeli military said that it had carried out several airstrikes against the group in southern Lebanon.

The US and France are reportedly working on a negotiated settlement to the hostilities along Lebanon's southern border. Hezbollah says it will not halt fire unless Israel stops its military operation on Gaza, which has killed at least 37,347 Palestinians as of Monday.