There was no letup in hostilities as Israel’s war on Hamas lurched well into its second week on Tuesday, as tensions flared on the Lebanese border even as Israel hammered Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip. 

In the morning hours, Israeli forces killed four people who were attempting to infiltrate Israel from across the border with Lebanon. Anti-tank guided missiles were also fired in the direction of Metula, a northern Israeli town located close to the Lebanese border. 

Three Israelis were wounded in the attack, for which no group has yet claimed responsibility. An Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported that the local council head, David Azulay, said that the three Israelis were wounded by Hezbollah. The area was declared a closed military area following the incident. 

The IDF’s Arabic spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said that the terrorists tried to cross into the country from Lebanon with an explosive device. A video from a reconnaissance drone the Israeli army shared showed the terrorists approaching the separation wall before they were targeted, causing an explosion.

Last week, Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in southern Lebanon crossed the border and clashed with Israeli troops, killing three and wounding several others. The terrorists were neutralized.

There are mounting  fears Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups might escalate their shelling along the Lebanon-Israel border to support Hamas should Israel begin a ground operation in Gaza.

The Hamas surprise attacks on Israel on October 7 started when terrorists breached portions of the security fence that separates the Gaza strip from Israel and infiltrated Israeli communities close to the border. The Hamas terrorists’ rampage left more than 1,400 Israelis dead. 

Hamas claims to be holding 200 people hostage, a number that includes Israelis as well as foreign nationals. It also claims that other factions in Gaza are holding an additional 50 people captive.

Overnight the IDF reported hitting 200 terrorist targets in strikes inside the Gaza Strip. According to some reports there were bombardments in two towns in the southern area of the Strip, though that could not be immediately confirmed. Those bombardments reportedly hit areas west and southeast of Khan Younis and west of Rafah. 

Thousands of people trying to get out of Gaza gathered at Rafah, which has the territory’s only border crossing to Egypt. Mediators are pressing for an agreement to let aid in and refugees with foreign passports out. Washington hoped to break a deadlock with President Biden set to head to Israel and Jordan on Wednesday.

In the meantime, King Abdullah II of Jordan said at a meeting with Chancellor Scholz at Berlin that neither Jordan nor Egypt would be willing to take in any Palestinian refugees. The Jordanian king told reporters on Tuesday that “this is a red line … no refugees to Jordan and also no refugees to Egypt.”

“This is a situation that has to be handled within Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. “And you don’t have to carry this out on the shoulders of others.” Mr. Abdullah also said that everything needs to be done to prevent a further escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

“The whole region is on the brink,” he said. “This new cycle of violence is leading us towards the abyss.”

For his part Mr. Scholz, who is traveling to Israel later on Tuesday, said that the country has every right to defend itself and can count on Germany’s support.

Mr. Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday to show support for Israel amid concerns the Israel-Hamas war could become a larger regional conflict, Secretary Blinken said.

New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said she will travel to Israel on Tuesday for a “solidarity mission.” Ms. Hochul said she plans to meet with diplomatic leaders and communities devastated after the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists on Israeli towns.

“During these difficult times, it’s more important than ever for New York to show up in support of Israel,” the governor said.

The New York Times reported that Israel has requested $10 billion in emergency military aid. Congress is formulating an assistance package  in coordination with the White House; it will also include funds for Ukraine, Taiwan, and the U.S.-Mexico border.

In Israel on Tuesday the IDFs’s international spokesman,  Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, appeared to tamp down expectations of ground invasion of Gaza happening immediately.  “We are preparing for the next stages of war. We haven’t said what they will be,” he told reporters, adding, “Everybody’s talking about the ground offensive. It might be something different.”