There were renewed skirmishes on Israel’s border with Lebanon on Friday, with the Israeli military reporting that it had foiled plans by Hezbollah to carry out attacks, while a gunman possibly managed to infiltrate into Israel and open fire at forces, seriously wounding a soldier. A number of rockets and missiles were also launched at northern Israel from Lebanon, prompting Israeli artillery shelling in response.
Recent days have seen repeated clashes between the Israeli military and the Hezbollah terror group and allied Palestinian factions in southern Lebanon, amid fears a new front could be opened as Israel continues its war with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
In the first incident Friday, the Israel Defense Forces said troops operating near the northern town of Margaliot, on the Lebanon border, came under fire. One reservist soldier was seriously wounded.
The IDF said troops returned fire and launched a manhunt for the gunman. Several hours later he was killed in a new exchange of fire in the area. It remained unclear if he had infiltrated into Israel from Lebanon.
Residents of nearby towns were told to go into bomb shelters as a precaution, though most have already evacuated amid repeated rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon.
The IDF said it struck four terror cells in southern Lebanon on Friday. A group of three Hezbollah terrorists who were identified by forces near Israel’s security barrier were targeted in a drone strike; Israeli snipers opened fire at gunmen who were identified near a different part of the border fence; another drone strike was carried out against a terror cell near the border; and an anti-tank guided missile squad was hit in another strike, according to the IDF.
Also Friday, the IDF said some 20-30 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward the contested Mount Dov area — where there are a number of military positions and no towns — and two rockets were fired at the northern town of Metula. Anti-tank guided missiles were also fired at several IDF posts, and gunfire targeted Israeli surveillance equipment on the border.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the missiles and gunfire.
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