Israeli officials say Thursday airstrikes not beginning of an 'escalation'

Israel does not want escalation in Lebanon and there are no new instructions for the residents of northern Israel, an Israeli security official told the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday, after Israel issued evacuation orders for four buildings in four southern Lebanese towns prior to airstrikes.

“We’re continuing our firm and strict approach in Lebanon and there is no change in the adopted policy in Lebanon,” Israeli army officers told Israel’s Channel 7.

“We’re continuing to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities and there is no decision to escalate the situation in south Lebanon,” the officers said.

An Israeli official later told Al-Arabiya television that Israel does not intend to "expand" or "escalate" the airstrikes in Lebanon.

The Israeli government’s spokeswoman meanwhile said that the Israeli army is “continuing the full enforcement and implementation of the ceasefire agreement and will not allow Hezbollah to re-arm and rebuild itself.”

"We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm themselves, to recover, build back up its strength, to threaten the state of Israel," the spokeswoman, Shosh Bedrosian, told reporters, accusing the group of "continuous terrorist activities."

Thursday’s airstrikes marked an escalation in Israel’s daily strikes on Lebanon.

The airstrikes came hours after Hezbollah urged the Lebanese government not to enter “political” negotiations with Israel.

The Israeli military claimed that it targeted military infrastructure for Hezbollah in the bombed areas. It accused the group of rebuilding its capabilities almost a year after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect that ended a monthslong war.

President Joseph Aoun has been critical of Israel’s strikes and military presence on five hill-top points on Lebanese territory but has said he is open to negotiations with Israel to end the tensions.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, which nominally ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war last November.