BICOM

Hezbollah yesterday detonated two explosive devices in the Har Dov region straddling the Israel-Lebanon border, injuring two Israeli soldiers. It was the first time since 2006 that Hezbollah had openly attacked Israeli forces, fuelling tension on Israel’s northern border.

Israel’s border with Lebanon has been relatively quiet since the month-long Second Lebanon War in 2006. Hezbollah has since then typically distanced itself from periodic isolated rocket fire or infiltration attempts. However, yesterday the Shi’ite organisation, which de-facto controls much of southern Lebanon, quickly took responsibility for wounding two Israeli soldiers.

The two soldiers both belong to the Combat Engineering Corps bomb squad unit and were accompanying Golani Brigade soldiers on patrol in the area, when a device was exploded on the Israeli side of the border. The soldiers were treated at the scene before being evacuated to hospital by helicopter to treat light injuries. Around 30 minutes later, another device exploded in the Har Dov region, but did not cause any injuries.

Unusually, in a statement on its Al-Manar television station just four hours later, Hezbollah announced that it had carried out the attacks. The IDF called the incident “a gross and violent violation of Israeli sovereignty,” warning, “The IDF reserves the right to act in any way … to defend the citizens of the State of Israel.” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Cabinet “We proved that we respond with force against any attempt to attack us.” Israeli forces responded by shelling two Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

In the Israeli media this morning, commentators including Maariv’s Yossi Melman and Yediot Ahronot’s Alex Fishman agree that although the attack has escalated tensions, Hezbollah is not looking for a direct conflict with Israel.

Last month, a senior IDF officer warned that Hezbollah has ten times the number of rockets Hamas had before Operation Protective Edge and that in a future conflict, Hezbollah would accompany massive rocket fire with an attempt to momentarily capture Israeli territory.