Hezbollah jihadists reportedly fired missiles that killed two Israeli soldiers in an army vehicle along the border with Lebanon on Wednesday morning. Another seven were wounded in the attacks with light to moderate injuries, according to Israeli media reports.
The Lebanon-based Iranian-proxy Shiite terror group reportedly utilized a Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missile to conduct the attack. At the same time, Hezbollah reportedly bombarded IDF (Israel Defense Forces) positions along the border area with mortars.
The IDF has responded with a range of artillery strikes into southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media reports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said of the Hezbollah attack: We “stand besides the resistance against the Zionists.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would not hesitate to obliterate Hezbollah’s infrastructure should the terrorist group continue attacks. “Whoever tries to challenge us along the northern border, I suggest they come see and what happened here… in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said. “This last summer Hamas sustained the largest hit since its establishment and the IDF is prepared to act with force on every front,” he added.
Lebanese army chief Samir Geagea blamed Hezbollah for usurping the authority of his country and conducting rogue, unsanctioned attacks against Israel within Lebanon’s borders. “Today’s development indicates that Hezbollah is more and more expanding its regional schemes against the Lebanese state,” said Geagea. “Hezbollah has no right to implicate the Lebanese people in a battle with Israel. There is a government and a parliament which can decide on that.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman urged his government to allow for the IDF to respond with overwhelming force. “We must change the attitude in Israel… and respond to rocket fire against our sovereign territory very strongly and disproportionately, as China or the US would react to similar attacks,” said Liberman.
A senior Israeli intelligence official told The Times of Israel that he believes Hamas may join Hezbollah and unload its rocket arsenal against the Jewish State, allowing for battles to occur on two fronts.