On Wednesday, the Lebanese political and paramilitary organization “Hezbollah” (Party of God) fired a missile that struck a convoy of unarmored and unmarked vehicles belonging to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) at Mount Dov in the disputed Sheba’a Farms; this area is on the border of Lebanon and Israel, but claimed by the latter and Syria.
The missile strike resulted in the death of 2 IDF soldiers that were riding in the first vehicle. The IDF Spokesman also confirmed that 7 other soldiers were wounded from the explosion that rocked the convoy.
Following the attack, the IDF immediately responded with numerous aerial strikes, while also releasing a barrage of artillery shells and rockets that struck Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon – the two opposing forces would exchange a multitude of artillery shells for 3 hours until the nightfall dissipated the violence. A Spanish soldier with the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces was killed during the exchange between two groups.
According to a source in Syria, Hezbollah fighters also responded to the Israeli counterattack by firing multiple mortar shells at Mount Hermon in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The IDF Spokesman confirmed that there were no injuries from the attack; however, he did add that they will not sit stagnate – he asserted that Israel is prepared to defend themselves against any aggression that seeks to interfere with the country’s security.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his own response to the Hezbollah attacks on Twitter: “We will not allow terror elements to disrupt the lives of our citizens and threaten their security. We will know how to respond with force to whoever challenges us.”
Israel and Hezbollah have had a volatile history with one another that can be traced back to the Lebanese Civil War, when the Israeli proxy force, the “Southern Lebanese Army” (SLA), would combat the paramilitary force in southern Lebanon; this group was disbanded in 2000, following the IDF’s withdrawal from Lebanon.
The 2 enemies would meet again in 2006, when Hezbollah launched a ferocious assault in northern Israel, targeting the rural area of Galilee. The fighting created a wave of refugees that poured into Syria, while fierce clashes engulfed the area of southern Lebanon and northern Israel. A ceasefire was eventually implemented between the 2 forces; however, the hostilities have recently sprung up since the inception of the Syrian Conflict.
