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Israel-Hezbollah tensions escalate, IDF sends more troops to the north

Following the killing on Monday of a Hezbollah operative and Hezbollah retaliation threats, the IDF decided to send reinforcement to the country’s northern borders.
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Israel’s army announced this morning it was sending reinforcements to the northern border. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement said that "in light of a situational assessment that was held in the IDF, it was decided to send a pinpoint reinforcement of infantry troops to the Northern Command." The IDF spokesperson also explained that the reinforcement consisted of one battalion — the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion — and a small number of additional troops. All of these soldiers have been sent in recent hours to the Northern Command’s Galilee Division, not far from Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated Monday night after airstrikes south of Damascus hit a Hezbollah operative. Israel did not take responsibility for the airstrikes, but Hezbollah was quick to accuse it of killing Ali Kamel Mohsen Jawad. More so, Hezbollah posted a video clip showing some of its militants threatening to retaliate with anti-aircraft missiles. On July 23, London-based Asharq al-Awsat reported that Lebanese sources confirmed Hezbollah had decided to retaliate against the alleged Israeli airstrike outside of Damascus.

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