On Thursday, Lebanese Hezbollah and the Israeli army exchanged missile and artillery shelling, in a new wave of tension in parallel with the war that the occupation has been waging in the Gaza Strip for 13 days.

Al Jazeera's correspondent said that an Israeli artillery shelling targeted the vicinity of the towns of Aita al-Shaab and Beit Lev in the central sector of southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army said that it carried out an artillery attack on a site inside Lebanon, from which two rockets were fired towards the Al-Manara military site west of Kiryat Shmona.

For his part, the Israeli army spokesman explained that the bombing targeted a reconnaissance site towards the sea, from which an anti-tank missile was launched yesterday, Wednesday, towards Ras Naqoura. He added that the raids were launched in response to shooting operations towards Israel over the past 24 hours, he said.

Israel continues to strengthen its forces on its northern border with Lebanon. In recent hours, more heavy military equipment was brought to the border, including tanks and armored vehicles.

The Israeli military spokesman called on residents of the areas adjacent to the border with Lebanon, as well as in the southern areas close to Gaza, to fully adhere to the emergency instructions issued by the army’s home front.

On the other hand, Hezbollah's Al-Manar channel reported that on Thursday, it fired a number of Kornet missiles towards the Al-Manara colony, opposite the towns of Mays Al-Jabal and around the two borders in southern Lebanon.

Al Jazeera's correspondent confirmed that a number of Israeli sites were bombed with missiles in the western sector of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was quoted as saying that the Jal al-Alam site in the central sector of southern Lebanon was bombed with guided missiles.

Al Jazeera's correspondent said that sirens sounded a short while ago in the towns of Shomrah and Evin Menachem near the Lebanese border, and in Shlomi, Al-Bassa and Hanita in the Western Galilee.

Hezbollah's military media had broadcast pictures that it said were of the operation carried out by the party on Wednesday afternoon against the Israeli Al-Malikiyah position in the eastern sector of the border.

The pictures showed Hezbollah members targeting the Al-Malikiyah site and its technical equipment with guided missiles, directly hitting them.

Over the past few days, the two sides exchanged intermittent rounds of bombardment, causing deaths on both sides of the dividing Blue Line.

Leaving Lebanon

On the other hand, the embassies of the United States of America and Britain urged their citizens - on Thursday - to leave Lebanon “as long as commercial options are available,” in two new warnings in light of the tension witnessed on the southern border with Israel.

The US Embassy said in a new warning sent to its citizens in Lebanon, “The State Department urges American citizens in Lebanon to make plans to leave as soon as possible while commercial options are still available.”

She recommended that those wishing to stay "prepare plans in preparation for emergency situations."

On Wednesday, Washington raised the level of travel warning from the third level to the fourth level, which is the highest, and advised all Americans not to travel to Lebanon. It also allowed the departure of non-essential employees and their families from its embassy in Beirut.

In the same context, the British Embassy in Beirut updated travel advice for Lebanon. She said - in a statement on Thursday - “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development now advises against traveling to Lebanon and encourages British citizens who intend to leave to do so now, as long as commercial options are available.”

She urged her citizens to “remain vigilant,” avoid “any gatherings, marches, or processions and follow the instructions of local authorities,” reiterating the warning that “the situation is unpredictable and could deteriorate without warning.”