Violence has been escalating along the border between Israel and Lebanon since Sunday after Hezbollah launched a series of explosive-laden drones and missiles toward Israel, as well as Israeli airstrikes on a series of towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been engaged in a two-month war in Gaza, with experts calling the conflict the worst between the two sides since 2006. The violence has largely been confined to the border.

Ali Hijazi, a local official in the town of Aitaroun, said an Israeli air strike on the town destroyed five houses and damaged several others. "The hand of God has protected the people from martyrdom. Three women and two men were wounded," he told Reuters.

The Israeli military has not responded to a request for comment.

Senior Hezbollah official Hassan Fadlallah said in a statement to Reuters that the Israeli airstrikes were “a new escalation” to which the group responded with new offensive measures, “both in terms of the weapons used and the targets attacked.”

The Israeli military earlier said “several suspicious aerial targets” crossed the border from Lebanon and two were intercepted. Two Israeli soldiers suffered moderate injuries and several others suffered minor injuries from shrapnel and smoke inhalation.

Israeli warplanes have carried out “a series of large-scale airstrikes on Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanese territory”. Sirens have been sounded on the Israeli border in several locations.

In Beirut, residents spotted two fighter jets flying overhead, leaving white vapor trails. Hezbollah issued a statement asserting that its attacks were carried out in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Beirut would “become Gaza” if Hezbollah ignites all-out war.

UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, said in a statement that “the potential for a miscalculation to spark a wider conflict is increasing”.

Among a series of attacks claimed by Hezbollah on Sunday, the group said it launched several explosive-laden drones at an Israeli command post near Ya'ara. In another attack, Hezbollah said it launched Burkan missiles carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives.

Multiple Israeli airstrikes were also reported around the Lebanese village of Yaroun, not far from an Israeli position that Hezbollah claimed to have attacked on Sunday.

Toni Elias, a pastor in the nearby village of Rmeich, said the airstrikes damaged many homes, shops and schools in the village.

A UN watchtower was damaged.

Violence on the two sides' border has left more than 120 people dead in Lebanon, including 85 Hezbollah soldiers and 16 civilians.

In Israel, clashes left seven soldiers and four civilians dead.

UNIFIL said shelling damaged a watchtower at one of its positions on Saturday afternoon. No casualties were reported and the source of the shelling is still under investigation.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel on Saturday, one of which was “launched from a location 20 meters away from the UN compound in southern Lebanon.”

The Israeli military asserted that by attacking Israel from areas “just meters from UN compounds”, Hezbollah “put the lives of UNIFIL soldiers in danger”.

Hezbollah has not yet responded to Israel's claims.

UNIFIL affirms that attacking its positions and exploiting the vicinity of any of its positions to carry out attacks are unacceptable actions.

Nguyen Quang Minh (According to Reuters)