Skirmishes flared along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon on Friday and Saturday as the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization claimed responsibility for some attacks.
The Israel Defense Forces said that in response to small arms fire on an Israeli outpost, it sent a drone into Lebanon to attack Hezbollah, according to Fox News.
Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, is based in Lebanon. Hezbollah Deputy Chief Naim Kassem said Friday that it is ready to support Hamas, which massacred 1,300 people in a raid into Israel last Saturday, in what would turn out to be the catalyst for the burgeoning Israel-Hamas war.
IDF publishes footage showing the drone strike against the terrorist cell that attempted to infiltrate into Israel from Lebanon this morning. pic.twitter.com/YtBBqIK6z5
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 14, 2023
“The behind-the-scenes calls with us by great powers, Arab countries, envoys of the United Nations, directly and indirectly telling us not to interfere will have no effect,” he said, according to Reuters. “Hezbollah knows its duties perfectly well. We are prepared and ready, fully ready.”
“The question being asked, which everyone is waiting for, is what Hezbollah will do and what will its contribution be? We will contribute to the confrontation within our plan. … When the time comes for any action, we will carry it out,” he said.
In addition to Friday night’s exchange of fire, the IDF said it conducted a drone strike against Hezbollah after three drones were shot down overnight over two northern Israel cities, according to the Times of Israel.
IDF publishes footage showing the drone strike against the terrorist cell that attempted to infiltrate into Israel from Lebanon this morning. pic.twitter.com/YtBBqIK6z5
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 14, 2023
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On Saturday morning, three terrorists trying to enter Israel were killed, the IDF said. It identified them as Palestinians, not members of Hezbollah.
Fighting continued Saturday afternoon local time, according to the Times of Israel.
IDF says it struck a terrorist cell in Lebanon that is suspected of planning to carry out an anti-tank guided missile attack against troops in the area. Earlier, some 30 mortars were launched at the Mount Dov area.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 14, 2023
Hezbollah said it fired mortars and anti-tank guided missiles at Israel deployments. The IDF said it was fighting back.
Hezbollah entering the war “will be nothing short of a game-changer,” Firas Maksad, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told CNBC.
“Hamas is but the weak underling of Hezbollah, a much more formidable fighting force and widely recognized as the most powerful nonstate military in the world,” he said.
“This will be a game-changer, not only for Israel, but also for the entire region,” he said.
However, Hilal Khashan, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut said Hezbollah is not likely to commit its full force to the war.
“Irrespective of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s decision, Hezbollah will not open a front from south Lebanon against Israel because it will justify Israel to destroy Lebanon. Iran has already informed Israel and the U.S. through third parties that it will rein in Hezbollah,” he said.
