IDF remains on alert as tense calm takes hold of northern borders

 

Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon on Wednesday attacked IDF vehicles traveling two kilometers from the northern border in the village of Ghajar in the Galilee panhandle with Kornet anti-tank missiles, killing two IDF soldiers and wounding seven others.

 

On Thursday night, Channel 10 reported that days before the attack, IDF forces received warning that Hezbollah was planning a strike on the Har Dov area in northern Israel.

 

According to the unattributed report, the IDF was allegedly informed about one scenario regarding a projectile attack emanating from Lebanon.  

 

Following the warning, a large number of IDF forces were reportedly instructed to relocate so as to avoid locations subject to fire from Lebanon. The Givati Brigade convoy that was hit in the strike had proceeded to travel near the northern border, despite the purported warnings.

 

According to the IDF\’s long-term assessments, the IDF and Hezbollah are likely to continue trading blows due to the terrorist organization\’s activities in both Lebanon and Syria. In the latter region, Hezbollah\’s attempt to set up an Iranian-backed terrorism base triggered an air strike last week, which set off the latest round of violence.

 

Senior IDF officials do not believe that the long-term exchange of blows will come to an end, irrespective of short-term lulls in violence.

 

The IDF briefly shut roads near the Lebanese border on Thursday night after residents reported hearing a blast. The roads were reopened soon afterwards.

 

Earlier, Defense Minister Moshe Ya\’alon told Army Radio that Israel received a message from Hezbollah via UNIFIL saying that it was interested in an end to the current round of hostilities.

 

"There are coordination channels between us and Lebanon through UNIFIL, and I can say that those channels have been used," Ya\’alon said. He refrained from saying that the violence had ended, however, saying the military was "ready for all developments."