BINT JBEIL, Lebanon - In a tragic incident on Sunday evening, an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon resulted in the death of four civilians, including a woman and three children. This unfortunate event has raised concerns of a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border.

The clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants, along with their allies, have been intensifying over the past month since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The situation further escalated as Israel launched a ground incursion in Gaza against Hamas, which is considered an ally of Hezbollah.

According to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency, the Israeli airstrike targeted two civilian cars carrying members of the same family, one of whom was a local journalist. The cars were traveling between the towns of Ainata and Aitaroun when they were hit, resulting in one car being hit directly and bursting into flames. Sadly, a woman and three girls, aged 10, 12, and 14, lost their lives in the attack, while others sustained injuries.

Shortly after the Israeli strike, Hezbollah retaliated by firing Grad rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel. Israeli rescue services reported that several rockets hit the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, which was verified by videos obtained by The Associated Press showing a burning car in the street.

The Israeli military announced that at least one civilian was killed on Sunday as a result of attacks by Hezbollah, although it was unclear whether it was in the Kiryat Shmona attack or an earlier incident.

Samir Ayoub, the Lebanese journalist who was in the car in front of the one struck by the airstrike, described the victims as his sister's children and their grandmother. Ayoub expressed his anguish, stating that there were no men in the car that was hit, only innocent young children with their grandmother and mother. He condemned the Israeli action, directing blame towards them as he exclaimed, "Where are the terrorists? Israelis, you are the terrorists."

The bodies of the woman and three children were said to be "completely burned," according to Mohammad Suleiman, head of Salah Ghandour Hospital in the town of Bint Jbeil. The children's mother sustained injuries but is in stable condition and has been transferred to another hospital.

The Israeli military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, did not provide details on the incident but assured reporters that they would investigate the matter thoroughly. This comes as Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the Israeli drone attack, labeling it a "heinous crime" and announcing intentions to file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council.

Earlier in the day, local Lebanese officials reported that an Israeli drone targeted two ambulances en route to pick up casualties from overnight strikes in southern Lebanon, injuring four paramedics. The Israeli army stated that it had launched strikes on a "terrorist cell" attempting to fire missiles towards Israel from the Ras Naqoura area and had not intentionally targeted the vehicles.

Hezbollah also claimed to have targeted an Israeli military vehicle across the border from the Lebanese town of Blida using guided missiles. The group alleged that their attack resulted in the killing and injuring of crew members.

The death of the woman and three children increases the total number of civilians killed on the Lebanese side of the border clashes to at least 14. On the Israeli side, two civilians have been killed, along with seven Israeli soldiers and numerous fighters from Hezbollah and allied groups in Lebanon.

Hezbollah officials have warned that killing Lebanese civilians will be viewed as a violation of the rules of engagement, leading to retaliation against civilian targets.

This report was contributed by Abby Sewell from Beirut, with additional input from Kareem Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue in Beirut, and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem.