Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful regional ally, has signaled privately that it does not intend to attack Israel, but Lebanon’s military has bolstered its presence in the country’s south to prevent rocket fire.

Amid rising Iran-Israel tensions, the Israeli military has killed senior Hezbollah commander Mohammad Khadr al-Husseini in southern Lebanon, citing an urgent threat to its northern border. The strike follows Hezbollah’s pledge to retaliate against Israeli and U.

Top Lebanese officials said Monday they want to prevent the country, which is still recovering from the recent Israel-Hezbollah war, from being dragged into the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.