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Will Hezbollah, Iran avenge the killing of Kuntar?

The killing of veteran terrorist Samir Kuntar, adopted by Hezbollah, is perceived as a blow to Iran, which supported and nurtured Kuntar over the past year.
HADARIM PRISON, ISRAEL - JULY 16: In this handout image from Hadarim Prison, Lebanese prisoner Samir Kantar is released by Israeli prison guards on July 16, 2008 at the Hadarim Prison in central Israel.  Kuntar, who was jailed in Israel in 1979 at the age of 16 for murder and attempted murder,  was swapped in the UN mediated handover with soldiers Eldad Regev, 27, and Ehud Goldwasser, 32. (Photo by Hadarim Prison via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Samir Kantar

Officially, Israel hasn't assumed responsibility for the killing of Lebanese Druze terrorist Samir Kuntar during the night of Dec. 19-20. Kuntar was sheltering with a group of terrorists, including Farhan al-Sha’alan, in a home in the town of Jaramana, south of Damascus, when guided air-to-ground missiles fired from distant warplanes slammed into the building, causing it to collapse on everyone inside. Hezbollah is blaming Israel for the attack, but so far, Israel has not responded officially.

The general assumption among the international community is that the Israeli air force conducted the operation, after receiving precise intelligence in real time. This allowed it to settle the score with one of the most detested terrorists in Israel’s history. Three rockets were fired from Lebanese territory into Israel on the afternoon of Dec. 20, but there were no casualties or damage. These rockets were fired by Ahmed Jibril’s Popular Front General Command. Still, based on the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) assessment, the real response to Kuntar’s assassination is yet to come. The rockets on Dec. 20 were little more than a three-gun salute in honor of Kuntar.

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