IDF Bolsters Presence Along North Following Cross-Border Attack

January 29, 2015

3 min read

Tensions in Israel’s north remain high on Thursday following a cross-border attack by Hezbollah that left two IDF soldiers dead and seven others injured. The Lebanese terror group said that the attack was carried out in the spirit of “an eye for an eye.”

The soldiers, 25-year-old Cpt. Yochai Kalengel and 20-year-old Sgt. Dor Nini, were killed when anti-tank missiles were fired at their convoy near the border with Lebanon. A UN peacekeeper from Spain was also killed when an IDF artillery shell exploded near him in Lebanon.

Cpt. Yochai Kalengel
Cpt. Yochai Kalengel

IDF outposts located on Mount Hermon also came under fire, causing the indefinite evacuation of hikers and vacationers in the area.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Office confirmed that the army has bolstered its presence along the northern border following the incident. On Wednesday, emergency troops were ordered north following the attack.

Residents in the northern region were told to return to their normal, daily life. Wednesday’s attack was the second incident in less than a 24 hour period in which Israel came under fire from its Lebanese and Syrian neighbors.

Hezbollah, who claimed responsibility for the attack, said it was part of a forthcoming response for an IAF airstrike that killed one of its commanders and five other operatives. The terror group, however, sent a message to Israel via UN forces on Thursday that it does not want further escalation with Israel.

On Thursday, the IDF resumed drilling in search for possible terror tunnels being dug from Lebanon. Residents of the northern community of Zir’it, which is located in close proximity to the Lebanese border, alerted authorities to drilling sounds coming from underground.

 

The army began drilling on Wednesday morning but were forced to stop due to the attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran for Wednesday’s attack. “For some time, Iran – via Hezbollah – has been trying to establish an additional terrorist front against us in the Golan Heights. We are taking strong and responsible action against this attempt,” he said.

He said that the governments of Lebanon and Syria also bear responsibility for the attacks, saying they “will pay the full price.”

Sgt. Dor Nini
Sgt. Dor Nini

Following the attacks, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting to discuss ways to defuse tensions between Israel and Lebanon. The Israeli delegation at the UN was not invited to the meeting.

The United States, for its part, said it stands by Israel and its right to self-defense following the attack. “We support Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense and continue to urge all parties to respect the blue line between Israel and Lebanon,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday.

She added that Washington condemns Hezbollah’s actions and blamed the terror group for fueling violence in the region.

“Hezbollah continues to incite violence and instability inside Lebanon by attacking Israel ad by its presence and fighting inside Syria, which violated Lebanese leaders’ agreed policy of dissociating Lebanon from foreign conflicts,” Psaki stated.

“We urge all parties to refrain from any action that could escalate the situation,” she added.

LISTEN BELOW: Israel Security Expert on Hezbollah: “It’s a Zero Sum Game”

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