The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began the day after the Hamas October

attacks last year with the militants striking Israel's north with rockets and

artillery. We have reported on the toll on northern Israel and lives lost and

lives disrupted by evacuations and displacement due to the violent clashes.

Now special correspondent, Simone Foltine, takes us to the Lebanese side of the border.

A race against time is fighting in flames engulf southern Lebanon.

We are with the Lebanese civil defense in Chiam, one of the hotspots of a widening war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Since fighting began in October, there's been a sharp increase in fires here.

During all of last year, this team responded to a total of 55 fires.

Now it's more than 20 per month.

The vast majority have been caused by Israeli bombardment,

and as Salim Zaruzaruzarush and his colleagues deploy,

there is no guarantee that the shelling has stopped.

We are afraid because we are going to a dangerous area, an area under bombardment.

Of course there's fear.

Maybe we'll come back, maybe we won't.

They have to work fast and get out of what is an active war zone.

We are about two miles from the closest Israeli position,

well within reach of Israeli tanks.

The planes around Chiam have been pounded with Israeli strikes every single day.

And the civil defense is the first one to respond on site,

but they have very little equipment to contain the

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