Mourners gathered in the Druze Arab town of Majdal Shams for the funeral of 11-year-old Guevara Ibrahim, the last of 12 victims – all aged 10 to 16 – of the attack that hit a football pitch.
Israel and the United States have blamed the attack on Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has denied any involvement.
The group has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces since the start of the Gaza war in early October
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said a flurry of diplomatic activity has sought to contain the anticipated Israeli response after Defence Minister Yoav Gallant threatened to “hit the enemy hard.”
“Israel will escalate in a limited way and Hezbollah will respond in a limited way … These are the assurances we’ve received,” Bou Habib said in an interview late Sunday with local broadcaster Al-Jadeed.
The United States, France and others were trying to contain the escalation, he added, while Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati had also said that “talks are ongoing with international, European and Arab sides to protect Lebanon and ward off dangers.”
Several airlines including Lufthansa, Air France and Transavia announced Monday the suspension of their Beirut lines
But in central Beirut, shop owner Muhammad Saad, 53, said life went on as usual.
“We’re already at war, what more could happen?” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the Majdal Shams rocket attack, though the group claimed multiple strikes on Israeli military positions that day.
