Israel Lebanon
Smoke from Israeli shelling billow from the Lebanese town of Al-Majidiyah on the Lebanese border with Israel on January 28, 2015. Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack against a military convoy in an Israeli-occupied border area. Getty Images

The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting on Wednesday (28 January) to discuss the surge of violence on the Israeli-Lebanon border, diplomats confirmed.

During the meeting, the Security Council will hear a report from a senior official overseeing UNIFIL operations in southern Lebanon.

The call for the meeting comes after two Israeli soldiers and a 36-year-old Spanish UN peacekeeper serving in UNIFIL were killed in the exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.

Confirmed: Two IDF soldiers were killed and an additional seven were wounded in the Hezbollah attack near Mt. Dov earlier today.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDFSpokesperson) January 28, 2015

The renewed tensions started after an Israeli air strike in the Golan Heights, near Syria's Quneitra border crossing with Israel, resulted in the deaths of six Hezbollah fighters and an Iranian general on 18 January.

Following the deaths of Hezbollah fighters, UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon said it witnessed six rockets fired towards Israel from southern Lebanon and Israeli forces in turn returning, "artillery fire in the same general area."

Meanwhile, Israel has said that it will take all necessary measures to defend itself against Hezbollah.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, told the UN Security Council and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in a letter, reported France24 News: "Israel will not stand by as Hezbollah targets Israelis."

The renewed violence has raised concerns with some fearing the fighting could escalate into an all out war between the two countries in a repeat of a month-long war fought in 2006.

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