Fighting breaks out on Israel-Lebanon border
Tensions keep escalating on the Israel-Lebanon border, with IDF and Hezbollah exchanging heavy fire.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman said this afternoon that Israeli troops thwarted a Hezbollah attack near the border with Lebanon. According to reports, a Hezbollah cell of three to five operatives crossed the Blue Line border a few meters into sovereign Israeli territory. The troops then opened fire at the group with machine guns and tank shells.
It was reported earlier in the day that IDF and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire today in that area. According to reports, Hezbollah launched an attack on Israeli troops on the frontier, apparently in retaliation for the death of Hezbollah operative Ali Kamel Mohsen Jawad, who was killed in a July 20 airstrike south of Damascus. Israel did not take responsibility for that strike, but Hezbollah was quick to blame Israel and promised to react. The IDF has in recent days increased deployment of forces in the north and has also increased the deployment of Iron Dome anti-missile batteries in the region. It was published this morning that the IDF now estimates Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah won’t settle for anything less than hurting Israeli soldiers as retaliation for the killing of Jawad.
