Amman. Aug 26 (IANS): Jordan has warned that the escalating situation in southern Lebanon could trigger a broader regional conflict.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah on Sunday stressed the importance of supporting Lebanon and adhering to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to prevent further escalation.

He called for coordinated efforts to de-escalate tensions and safeguard the region from slipping into a wider war, Xinhua news agency reported.

Qudah also criticised the ongoing "Israeli aggression" in Gaza and the lack of progress toward a ceasefire, which he said increases the risk of a regional conflict.

He also urged the international community to take decisive action to halt the conflict in Gaza, address the resulting humanitarian crisis, and ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians while maintaining regional stability.

Israeli and Hezbollah forces engaged in extensive exchanges of fire early Sunday morning along the Israel-Lebanon border, marking a significant escalation in their longstanding conflict.

Hezbollah announced it had launched hundreds of missiles into Israel in retaliation for the killing of its commander, Fouad Shokor, in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut last month. In response, Israel reported conducting numerous preemptive airstrikes targeting Hezbollah's rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.

The intensification of hostilities raises the risk of a broader conflict involving regional and international actors, including the US and Iran, and threatens to undermine ongoing ceasefire efforts in Gaza, where Israel has been engaged in a protracted conflict with Hamas for more than 10 months.