Two civilians killed in Israel shelling of Lebanon: mayor

SHEBAA: Two Lebanese civilians were killed in Israeli shelling of the southern village of Shebaa on Saturday, its mayor told AFP, the latest casualties of cross-border tensions over Israel's war with Hamas.

Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Lebanon have exchanged cross-border fire with Israel since Hamas's shock October 7 attack on Israel ignited a war that has killed more than 1,300 people in Israel.

The Palestinian gunmen also seized an estimated 150 hostages while Israel's retaliatory air and artillery bombardment has killed more than 2,200 people in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

"A man and his wife have been killed in their home by Israeli shelling," mayor Mohammad Harb told AFP.

An AFP correspondent near Shebaa earlier reported heavy shelling in the area.

Israel has traded fire with Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions in Lebanon on a near-daily basis since Sunday, although the tit-for-tat attacks had so far remained limited.

Earlier Saturday, Hezbollah said it shelled Israeli positions in the contested Shebaa Farms district of the border and the Israeli military said it retaliated by "striking the origin of the launches".

Hezbollah later said it had launched fresh strikes on Israeli targets in the disputed area.