Israeli strike wounds five in Nabatiyeh

An Israeli strike on Wednesday wounded five people when it hit a two-story building in the town of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon, state media reported.

The report came as fears mounted that months of cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah could turn into a full-fledged conflict.

Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed ally of Hamas in Lebanon, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

Tensions have been rising in recent days with growing exchanges of fire.

On Wednesday Israel carried out some 10 strikes on border regions, Lebanon's national news agency said.

An Israeli strike destroyed the building in Nabatiyeh around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT), it said, adding the five people who were in the vicinity of the structure were wounded and taken to hospital.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.

Hezbollah on Wednesday claimed six attacks against Israeli military positions in the border region.

Some 481 people have died in Lebanon as a result of the Israel-Hezbollah clashes since October 7, including 94 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed, according to Israel.