The Israeli army closed the border area to civilians as tit-for-tat fire with Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions in Lebanon intensified BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel exchanged deadly cross-border fire on Sunday, with the group claiming responsibility for strikes that killed a civilian, according to Israeli sources. The exchanges — and a rocket that hit a UN peacekeeping base — have further raised tensions on Israel’s northern border. The Israeli army closed the border area to civilians as tit-for-tat fire with Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions in Lebanon intensified. Tension on the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel is no longer limited to some areas, with all border regions becoming confrontation spots. Israeli bombing in response to these operations is now affecting Lebanese civilians. Amid the increased tension between Lebanon and Israel, more foreign embassies have urged their nationals in Lebanon to avoid conflict areas. The Canadian Embassy on Sunday urged its citizens to “avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon due to the unpredictable security situation, the increased threat of terrorist attacks and armed conflict with Israel,” citing “possible deterioration of the security situation without prior warning.” Germany’s government on the same day warned against traveling to Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian territories, urging its nationals in these regions to communicate with the German authorities. The US and the UK have warned their citizens against traveling to Lebanon. Arab News has learned that UNIFIL troops have urged Lebanese and foreign administrative staff to work remotely instead of from their UNIFIL offices in Naqoura. The organization has added that directives will be given daily, according to developments. Tension on the border has increased displacement from the southern border regions. War correspondents have told Arab News that 1,000 displaced people have moved to schools in Tyre. Correspondent Hussein Saad said: “These people don’t have the financial means to move to another place. Services are being provided to them by a relief committee affiliated with the Red Cross, the municipality, the region’s parties, and the Higher Relief Commission.” A political observer said: “What’s happening currently in the border region is like transforming the area into a fire belt from Naqoura to the Shebaa Farms.” He added: “The situation is still limited to pressuring Israel and within the conflict rules. “What (has) changed is that Palestinian factions are now allowed to carry out operations from the border toward the Israeli side — a move previously restricted to Hezbollah. “This daily tension and the Israeli bombing took its toll on people and (has) prompted them to flee the region without being directly asked to do so, unlike what happened during the 2006 war when Hezbollah asked people to evacuate the regions subject to Israeli attacks immediately.”