Hezbollah denied having organized an operation against Israel. The group said a civilian home was hit by Israeli air strikes in the Lebanese city of al-Habaria.
“The Islamic Resistance claims that there has been no fighting or shooting on its part in the events of the day so far. Instead, it was only one party, which was the fearful, anxious and tense enemy,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said in a conference call with reporters: “We saw them when they approached the Blue Line, we monitored and tracked them. Shortly after crossing the Blue Line, we compromised and were able to thwart the attack. We visually confirmed that the terrorists fled to Lebanon. ”
The Israeli army said the operation took place near an area known as Har Dov in Israel and Shebaa Farms in Lebanon, which was captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by Lebanon.
The IDF also used artillery fire to create smoke screens “for defensive purposes,” Conricus said. There were no Israeli military casualties in the exchange, according to the IDF spokesman. He added that he did not have any information on the condition of the Hezbollah cell members.
The incident comes a week after an Israeli air strike south of the Syrian capital Damascus was charged with the murder of a Hezbollah fighter. Despite denying that it carried out an operation against Israeli forces on Monday, the group said in its statement that retaliation for the murder of one of its militants “will definitely come.”
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah had previously promised to respond to any Israeli assassinations of the group’s fighters in Syria.
‘Prepared for any stage’
Moments after the start of the incident on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli army was ready for any situation.
“We are constantly monitoring what is happening on our northern border. Our policy is clear. First, we will not allow Iran to take military advantage on our border with Syria,” Netanyahu said. “Second, Lebanon and Hezbollah will be responsible for any attack against us that comes from Lebanese territory. Third, the IDF is prepared for any scenario.”
The Israeli army immediately imposed restrictions on civilians when the shooting started, ordering them to remain indoors and refrain from any activity in open areas. Those restrictions, which applied to some 40 communities along the border, were lifted about an hour later, indicating that the military believed the fighting could have been contained.
On Friday, the Israeli army deployed additional troops on the country’s northern border and restricted the movement of military vehicles along it in anticipation of Hezbollah’s retaliation for last week’s airstrike in Syria. The IDF chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, visited the northern border on Saturday, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited on Sunday.
The commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which watches over the border, called for restraint. In a statement, Major General Stefano Del Col said he is in contact with both parties “to assess the situation and lessen the tension.”
This is the first shot at the volatile border since last September when Hezbollah attacked an Israeli army base and a nearby military vehicle. That operation came after an Israeli attack in Syria, which killed two Hezbollah fighters.
The Israeli army responded to the September border attack with 100 artillery shells and limited helicopter fire along the border. There were no victims.
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