Israel's security cabinet has authorised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister to decide when and how to retaliate for a deadly rocket attack Israel and the US say was carried out by the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah.
Ministers met in emergency session in the wake of the strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday evening, which killed 12 children and teenagers from the Druze community.
Hezbollah has denied responsibility.
It was the deadliest cross-border incident in months of exchanges of fire between the two sides.
The attack has heightened fears that what has been relatively contained hostilities so far could spiral into all-out war.
The White House said it had been in "continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the horrific attack" on the playing field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams.
It said it was "also working on a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line [the unofficial frontier between Israel and Lebanon] that will end all attacks once and for all".
On Monday morning an Israeli drone strike outside the Lebanese town of Shaqra, about 6.5km (four miles) from the Israeli border, killed two people, Lebanon's state media said. Hezbollah announced that the dead men were two of its fighters. Israel has not commented on the report.
Meanwhile Air France has become the latest airline to suspend flights to and from Beirut, as anticipation of Israeli retaliation grows.
Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, and Eurowings have similarly suspended flights.
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@CommittedIguanaGreen2yrs2Y
Hezbollah didn't do it, but let's say they did-- their beef is with Syria.
The children killed were Syrian, not "Israeli".
Israel have illegally occupied Syria's Golan Heights since 1967, and also illegally occupy Palestine and Lebanon.
Israel is about to comprehend the scale of punishment they have indiscriminately dished out. A doomed war with irrevocable global consequences to stall for a doomed political career.
But all that will be achieved is the acceleration of Israel’s inevitable fall.
Phase: Find out.
@SolidTealConstitution2yrs2Y
when arabs say "illiegally occupied" they mean that they started a war and then lost the war soo badly they had to withdraw from thier land and now they're busy playing the victim instead of dealing with the consequences of losing a war they started.
@NominationMiaRepublican2yrs2Y
This is a lie. Syria lost the land when they attacked Israel and lost. Israel kept it as a buffer zone to help booster their safety. Maybe they should’ve kept more.
If you're silent when Hezbollah murders 10+ Israeli Druze children, stay quiet when Israel responds.
They were Syrian citizens so stop trying to claim them as Israeli; 2. There is mounting evidence that it was a failed iron dome missile that landed/exploded, which would make Israel responsible; 3. Whoever is responsible it is unacceptable.
@ContentLionDemocrat2yrs2Y
If you’re silent when Israel murders 45,000 Palestinian children, STFU
Why Golan heights are still under control of Israel and west bank and Sinai are not anymore?
@eXecutiveStorkDemocrat2yrs2Y
Peace treaty with Egypt and the PA. Syria refused.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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