Some analysts believe that Hezbollah has little interest in becoming fully embroiled in a conflict that Israeli officials have threatened could destroy Lebanon, AFP reports.

Others say the decision lies with Iran, which leads the regional “axis of resistance” against Israel, which alongside Hezbollah includes armed groups from Syria, Iraq and Yemen, some of which have attacked Israel and US interests in the region in recent weeks.

But Amal Saad, a Hezbollah expert at Cardiff University, said: “Hezbollah is not a proxy of Iran, it’s an ally of Iran… Hezbollah doesn’t need anyone’s permission to intervene.”

“Hezbollah has much more experience obviously fighting Israel than Iran does — Iran has not had a direct confrontation with Israel,” Saad added.

The border tensions have revived memories of Hezbollah’s devastating 2006 war with Israel that killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel, largely soldiers.