Smoke rises above multiple villages in southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes. The border area between the two countries has seen daily exchanges of fire, particularly between Hezbollah and Israel, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, triggered by the October 7 attacks on Israel by Gaza-based Hamas. The attacks killed 1,200 people - mostly civilians - in Israel and saw a further 240 taken hostage. Israel's response, a sustained air and ground offensive, has killed more than 15,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. IMAGES