Israel risking serious escalation by killing Hezbollah leaders, say diplomats

Targeted assassinations in Lebanon could rupture fragile understanding between two sides, say envoys

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Israel’s recent targeted assassinations of senior Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon risk a serious escalation between the two sides in their three-month border conflict, diplomats have said.

Diplomats who spoke to the Guardian said the recent targeted killings of two Hezbollah commanders in the aftermath of Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October risked rupturing the fragile understanding between the sides over what constituted a dangerous escalation.