JERUSALEM,Jan.9(Xinhua)--TheexchangeoffirebetweenIsraeliforcesandHezbollahescalatedTuesdayontheIsrael-Lebanonborder,withIsraelclaimingthekillingoftheLebanesemilitantgroup'stwoseniorcommanders.IsraelDefenseForces(IDF)SpokesmanDanielHagariadmittedthatIsraelwasbehindtheassassinationofAliHusseinBarji,aHezbollahcommander,inLebanonearlierTuesday,adayafteritkilledtheseniorcommanderofHezbollah'seliteRadwanforces,WissamHassanTawil.Atapressbriefing,HagarisaidBarji,whowaskilledinanairstrike,hadbeenidentifiedasthesouthernLebanoncommanderofHezbollah'sAerialUnit,alsotheHezbollahfigurethatled"dozens"ofdroneattacksagainstIsrael,includinganattackonanIsraeliarmybaseonTuesday.TheIDFonTuesdaycarriedoutseveralstrikesonsouthernLebanon,killingthreeHezbollahmemberswho,accordingtoHagari,wereattemptingtolaunchdronesatIsrael.Meanwhile,innorthernIsrael,airraidsirenswailedthroughoutthedayandintothenightasrocketsandcombatdroneswerelaunchedbyHezbollah.NocasualtieswerereportedontheIsraeliside.TheconfrontationsbetweenHezbollahandIsraelhavekilled211peopleontheLebaneseside,including154Hezbollahmembersand35civilians,accordingtoLebanesesecuritysources.Meanwhile,theIsraeliarmysaiditwas"expanding"itsassaultsinKhanYounisinthesouthernGazaStrip,whereatleast40Palestinianmilitantswerekilledoverthepastday."SoldiersfromtheParatroopersBrigadecombatteamarefightingintheheartofKhanYounis,eliminatingterroristsinclose-quarterbattlesandwithsniperfire,"thearmysaid.Thetroops"arelocatingnumerousweapons,includingarms,grenades,andammunition,"itadded.DespiteinternationalcallsfortheprotectionofciviliansinGaza,includingbyU.S.SecretaryofStateAntonyBlinken,whowasonavisittotheMiddleEast,IsraelsaiditwouldintensifystrikesinsouthernGaza.InhismeetingwithIsraeliPrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahu,Blinkenstressed"theimportanceofavoidingfurthercivilianharmandprotectingcivilianinfrastructureinGaza,"accordingtoastatementreleasedbyhisoffice.Inaseparatemeeting,IsraeliDefenseMinisterYoavGallanttoldBlinkenthatoperationsintheareaofKhanYounisareexpectedto"intensifyandcontinueuntilHamasleadershipisdetected,andIsraelihostagesreturnhomesafely."Blinken'svisit,hisfourthtriptotheregionsincetheoutbreakoftheIsrael-HamaswarinOctoberlastyear,comesamidincreasinginternationalconcernsabouttheGazasituation.ThedeathtollinthePalestinianenclavehasrisento23,210,andapproximatelytwomillionpeopleweredisplacedamidaseverehumanitariancrisis,accordingtotheGaza-basedHealthMinistry.Meanwhile,theIDFconfirmedonTuesdaythatatleastnineIsraelisoldierswerekilledintheGazaoperationonMonday,bringingthetotalnumberofcasualtiesamongtroopsto519,with2,465moreinjured.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.