Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hezbollah Thursday "not to test Israel's resolve," following a border incident that heightened tensions on the northern border.
The IDF struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon early Wednesday morning after terrorists opened fire on Israeli troops patrolling the border. No injuries were reported. The strike targeted observation posts held by the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist organization, the military said.
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"Israel sees the fire at its troops as a very serious incident," Netanyahu said, "We will not tolerate any act of aggression and we will react forcibly to any attack. I strongly suggest Hezbollah not test Israel's crushing resolve."
Netanyahu also warned that Hezbollah's aggression "is placing Lebanon in danger" – a hint to a recent change in government policy declaring that Israel will hold Lebanon, as the sovereign state on whose soil Hezbollah operates, accountable for its actions.
A statement released by the military following the incident said, "The IDF views this incident very seriously. Any attempt to violate Israeli sovereignty is a serious incident. The IDF will continue to maintain a high level of readiness to protect and defend Israeli sovereignty and security."
Defense Minister Benny Gantz echoed the sentiment.
"We again faced security challenged on our northern and southern borders tonight [Tuesday]," he said during a visit to the IDF's main induction base in central Israel.
"We will continue to ensure the residents of the south can live their lives peacefully and in the northern sector, we will not allow [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah to harm our troops or our state. We will mount a forceful response to any border incident."
A tense night was also noted on the Israel-Gaza border, as IDF planes bombed Hamas targets in the coastal enclave in response to Palestinian terrorists launching incendiary balloons at Israel, the military said.
The IDF said it targeted underground infrastructure belonging to Hamas, the terrorist group that rules Gaza.
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