Hezbollah member killed in Israeli shelling in Lebanon as conflict expands

Hezbollah member killed in Israeli shelling in Lebanon as conflict expands

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A member of Lebanon's Hezbollah was killed in Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon on Monday, the group said in a statement, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants expanded to the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Two sources, both close to the Iran-backed Hezbollah, said his death in shelling on a Hezbollah observation post would draw a response from the group.

Hezbollah and Israel fought a brutal month-long war in 2006 and have traded sporadic fire over the border since then while avoiding a major conflict. They exchanged artillery and rocket fire on Sunday.

The man was killed on Monday in Israeli shelling into southern Lebanon prompted by a cross-border raid claimed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which has been fighting alongside Hamas since it launched its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday.

The Israeli army said soldiers backed by helicopters killed at least two gunmen who crossed the frontier.

A Hezbollah official said had earlier denied the group was involved.

Some residents of southern Lebanon said they were leaving homes along the border with Israel amid heavy shelling that had so far pounded the outskirts of towns and villages.

The state news agency reported heavy traffic on main roads due to people fleeing the border area and schools in the area will remain closed on Tuesday.

A series of incidents over the past months had already elevated the risk of escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border before the last days of fighting in Israel and Gaza.

In a statement, the Israeli military said its soldiers "killed a number of armed suspects that infiltrated into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory". It did not elaborate on the number.

Military helicopters "are currently striking in the area," the statement added.

A security source in Lebanon and a source in Lebanon's border area said a group of men had approached the border, with one firing at an Israeli observation post.

Israel's Army Radio gave the location as being near Adamit, across from the Lebanese border towns of Aalma El Chaeb and Zahajra.

A spokesperson for the U.N.'s peacekeeping mission said its head Major General Lazaro was "in contact with the involved parties, urging them to exercise maximum restraint."

Lebanon's army confirmed shelling had taken place in border areas and asked people to be cautious in their movements.

Gabi Hage, a father of three with a house near the border described heavy shelling close to him.

"Our house is really close to the border, so we're leaving and going down to the village. All my neighbours are doing the same," he said.

The French consulate in Lebanon told its nationals to postpone any travel to southern Lebanon. Britain also said tensions were high and that the situation could escalate.