BEIRUT — The Shebaa Farms are back in the news headlines again. A roadside bomb exploded Oct. 7 near an Israeli patrol, injuring at least two Israeli soldiers and diverting attention from Syria to southern Lebanon's borders. A few hours after the incident, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar attributed the attack to Hezbollah, specifically, Hassan Ali Haidar’s group within the Islamic resistance movement. The group's namesake, Haidar, a Hezbollah member, was killed Sept. 5 after discovering an Israeli spying device that was then detonated remotely by an Israeli drone.
The Oct. 7 explosion marks the second time Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for an attack in the Shebaa Farms region since the Second Lebanon War (2006), which set new rules for the game. A Lebanese source told Al-Monitor, “Hezbollah is saying clearly that the old rules aren’t valid anymore and that any Israeli assault is going to be responded to. Israel is delusional that Hezbollah’s fight in Syria will prevent them from responding to aggressions. Hezbollah wanted to give them a wake-up call at the right place and time.”
