رزمة من التقارير العربية والإنكليزية تغطي الاشتباكات العسكرية التي جرت اليوم بين حزب الله وإسرائيل عبر الحدود A Bundle Of Arabic/English Reports addressing today’s Clashes between Hezbollah & Israel

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رزمة من التقارير العربية والإنكليزية تغطي الاشتباكات العسكرية التي جرت اليوم بين حزب الله و‘إسرائيل عبر الحدود
A Bundle Of Arabic/English Reports addressing today’s Clashes between Hezbollah & Israel

حزب الله» يردّ في جنوب لبنان باستهداف آلية إسرائيلية وتوتر في الحدود… والحريري يتصل بالولايات المتحدة وفرنسا
بيروت/الأحد 01 أيلول 2019

حزب الله يستهدف قاعدة عسكرية ويكبد إسرائيل خسائر… والعدو يرد قصفا
ليبانون فايلز- الأحد 01 أيلول 2019

نتنياهو: لبنان سيدفع الثمن
ليبانون فايلز – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019

الحريري طلب تدخل الولايات المتحدة الأميركية وفرنسا والمجتمع الدولي في مواجهة تطور الاوضاع على الحدود الجنوبية
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019

الحريري وضع رئيس الجمهورية في أجواء اتصالاته الدولية
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019

نتنياهو يطلب من الأميركيين والفرنسيين الضغط لوقف التصعيد
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019

القصف الاسرائيلي لم يتعد خراج بلدات مارون الراس وعيترون ويارون
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019

تحذير” اسرائيلي لنصرالله: كن رحيماً بلبنان وإلّا!
سكاي نيوز عربية/الاحد 01 أيلول 2019

مع تصاعد التوتر بين إسرائيل وحزب الله.. “بيان” من ماكرون
ليبانون ديبايت/الاحد 01 أيلول 2019

Hezbollah Missiles Hit Israeli Base, Military Vehicle on Lebanese Border; No Casualties
تقارير من الهآرتس تغطي استهداف حزب الله لآلية عسكرية إسرائيلية عبر الحدود من منطقة مارون الراس
Jack Khoury, Yaniv Kubovich and Noa Shpigel/Haaretz/September 01/2019

No Injuries In Hezbollah Missile Salvo: Restrictions Lifted in North-IDF
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attack against IDF position and military ambulance near Avivim.
Jerusalem Post/August 01/2019

Anti-tank Fire From Lebanon Targets Northern Israel, Israeli Army Says
Jack Khoury and Yaniv Kubovich/Haaretz/August 01/2019

Hezbollah Says Destroyed Military Vehicle
Jack Khoury, Yaniv Kubovich and Noa Shpigel/ Haaretz/September 01/2019

Hariri Asks Pompeo, French Presidency to Rein in Israel after Hizbullah Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019

Hizbullah Attacks Israeli Vehicle, Netanyahu Says No Casualties
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/Naharnet/August 01/2019

UNIFIL Urges ‘Restraint’ after Hizbullah Attack, Israeli Shelling
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019

Israel Fires Shells on Shebaa Farms as Drone Sets Forest Ablaze
Naharnet/August 01/2019

Israeli FM Slams Nasrallah as ‘Iranian Puppet’
Naharnet/August 01/2019

On Israel’s Borders, Drone Rivalries Play Out
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019

Drones Banned over Several Lebanese Areas for Ashoura
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019

Lebanese Army Says Israeli Drone Drops Incendiary Material in South
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 1 September, 2019

Nasrallah: We Will Retaliate for Drone Attacks Everywhere We Can Along Border With Israel
Yaniv Kubovich, Noa Shpigel and Jack Khoury/Haaretz/August 31/2019

حزب الله» يردّ في جنوب لبنان باستهداف آلية إسرائيلية وتوتر في الحدود… والحريري يتصل بالولايات المتحدة وفرنسا
بيروت/الأحد 01 أيلول 2019
توتر الوضع الأمني على الحدود اللبنانية الجنوبية، إثر استهداف «حزب الله» آلية عسكرية إسرائيلية في منطقة أفيفيم قرب الحدود الجنوبية للبنان، تنفيذا لتهديده بالرد على مقتل اثنين من مقاتليه في غارة إسرائيلية في سوريا الأسبوع الماضي. تابع رئيس مجلس الوزراء سعد الحريري تطورات الأوضاع في الجنوب، وأجرى اتصالين هاتفيين بكل من وزير الخارجية الأميركي مايك بومبيو ومستشار الرئيس الفرنسي إيمانويل بون طالبا تدخل الولايات المتحدة الأميركية وفرنسا والمجتمع الدولي في مواجهة تطور الأوضاع على الحدود الجنوبية. وأعلن حزب الله الأحد تدمير آلية عسكرية إسرائيلية، مشيراً إلى سقوط قتلى وجرحى، فيما أعلنت إسرائيل أنها ردت بإطلاق النار بعد إطلاق صواريخ مضادة للدبابات باتجاه أراضيها. وقال الجيش الإسرائيلي في بيان إن «عددا من الصواريخ المضادة للدبابات أطلقت من لبنان باتجاه قاعدة عسكرية إسرائيلية ومركبات عسكرية». وأضاف «تم تأكيد الضربات» وردت القوات الإسرائيلية «بالنيران على مصدر الصواريخ وأهداف في الجنوب اللبناني». وقال حزب الله في بيان «عند الساعة الرابعة و15 دقيقة من بعد ظهر اليوم الأحد بتاريخ 1 سبتمبر (أيلول) 2019 قامت مجموعة الشهيدين حسن زبيب وياسر ضاهر بتدمير آلية عسكرية إسرائيلية عند طريق ثكنة أفيفيم وقتل وجرح من فيها». وأطلق حزب الله اسم عنصريه اللذين قتلا في الغارة الإسرائيلية في سوريا قبل أسبوع على المجموعة التي نفذت الضربة. وأفادت الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام اللبنانية الرسمية أن القوات الإسرائيلية تستهدف أطراف بلدة مارون الراس، التي تقع على الجهة المقابلة من منطقة أفيفيم. وبدأ الدخان يتصاعد من منطقة مارون الراس، وفق ما نقلت قناة المنار التابعة لحزب الله في بث مباشر. وأفادت مقيمة في إحدى القرى القريبة من مارون الراس عن سماع دوي انفجارات ناجمة عن القصف المدفعي الإسرائيلي. ويأتي ذلك وسط توتر بين لبنان وإسرائيل بدأ قبل نحو أسبوع مع اتهام حزب الله والسلطات اللبنانية إسرائيل بشن هجوم بواسطة طائرتين مسيرتين في ضاحية بيروت الجنوبية. وقال الحزب إنهما كانتا محملتين بمواد متفجرة. إحداهما سقطت بسبب عطل فني والثانية انفجرت، من دون أن يحدد هدف الهجوم. ووقع الهجوم بعد وقت قصير من غارات إسرائيلية استهدفت ليل السبت الأحد الماضي منزلاً لمقاتلين من حزب الله قرب دمشق، ما أسفر عن مقتل اثنين منهما، هما زبيب وضاهر. وتوعد حزب الله بالرد على الهجومين الإسرائيليين، وقال أمينه العام حسن نصر الله مساء السبت إن «الموضوع بالنسبة لنا ليس رد اعتبار إنما يرتبط بتثبيت معادلات وتثبيت قواعد الاشتباك وتثبيت منطق الحماية للبلد». وأضاف: «يجب أن يدفع الإسرائيلي ثمن اعتدائه».

حزب الله يستهدف قاعدة عسكرية ويكبد إسرائيل خسائر… والعدو يرد قصفا
ليبانون فايلز- الأحد 01 أيلول 2019
أعلن الجيش الإسرائيلي أنه تم إطلاق قذيفة مضادة للدروع من الأراضي اللبنانية باتجاه إسرائيل في منطقة أففيم في القطاع الشرقي. ودعا الجيش الاسرائيلي إلى فتح الملاجئ في المستوطنات على الحدود اللبنانية. وأفادت “العربية” عن إطلاق صاروخ من نوع كورنيت على موقع قريب من مستوطنة يارون داخل الأراضي المحتلة. وقامت إسرائيل بقصف أطراف بلدة مارون الراس بـ30 قذيفة فوسفورية بعد إعلانها عن انطلاق صاروخ من لبنان باتجاه اراضيها، وأغلقت الطريق المجاور للسياج الحدودي مع لبنان. وأعلنت “سكاي نيوز” عن مصادر اسرائيلية أن لا إصابات من جراء إطلاق قذيفة من الجانب اللبناني. وأصدر “حزب الله” بيانا جاء فيه: عند الساعة الرابعة و15 دقيقة من بعد ظهر اليوم الأحد بتاريخ 1أيلول 2019 قامت مجموعة الشهيدين حسن زبيب وياسر ضاهر بتدمير آلية عسكرية عند طريق ثكنة افيفيم وقتل وجرح من فيها. وقال حزب الله للعدو الاسرائيلي: عليكم أن تعلموا أن هذا الرد كان على عملية استهداف شباب حزب الله في سوريا أما حساب الضاحية فهو حساب آخر. وكشف الجيش الإسرائيلي عن استهداف قاعدة عسكرية تابعة للجيش بعدد من الصواريخ المضادة للدروع واضرار كبيرة في المكان واصابة عدد من الجنود في هجوم بالصواريخ المضادة على قاعدة عسكرية في الشمال. ويتم التداول بمعلومات غير مؤكدة عن مقتل الجنرال افيف كوخافي اثناء جولة تفقدية للجبهة والاشراف على جهوزية الجيش. وكشفت “المركزية” نقلا عن مصادر قريبة من حزب الله أن الضربة محدودة ولا تصعيد اضافي.

نتنياهو: لبنان سيدفع الثمن
ليبانون فايلز – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019
قطع رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو اجتماعه في مدينة القدس مع رئيس هندوراس خوان أورلاندو هرنانديز، على خلفية التصعيد العسكري عند الحدود مع لبنان. وأكد مكتب رئيس الوزراء الذي يتولى أيضا منصب وزير الدفاع أنه تم إبلاغ نتنياهو على تطورات الوضع عند الحدود اللبنانية، حيث تبادل الجيش الإسرائيلي و”حزب الله” قصفا. ووصل هرنانديز إسرائيل الليلة الماضية لافتتاح مكتب دبلوماسي لبلاده في مدينة القدس بعد الاعتراف بها عاصمة للدولة العبرية. وقال نتنياهو: لبنان هو من سيدفع الثمن.

الحريري طلب تدخل الولايات المتحدة الأميركية وفرنسا والمجتمع الدولي في مواجهة تطور الاوضاع على الحدود الجنوبية
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019
تابع رئيس مجلس الوزراء سعد الحريري تطورات الأوضاع في الجنوب، وأجرى اتصالين هاتفيين بكل من وزير الخارجية الأمريكي مايك بومبيو ومستشار الرئيس الفرنسي إيمانويل بون طالبا تدخل الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وفرنسا والمجتمع الدولي في مواجهة تطور الاوضاع على الحدود الجنوبية.

الحريري وضع رئيس الجمهورية في أجواء اتصالاته الدولية
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019
اتصل رئيس مجلس الوزراء سعد الحريري، برئيس الجمهورية العماد ميشال عون، ووضعه في أجواء الاتصالات الدولية العاجلة التي اجراها. كما اتصل بقائد الجيش العماد جوزاف عون، واطلع منه على المعلومات والإجراءات التي يتخذها الجيش.

نتنياهو يطلب من الأميركيين والفرنسيين الضغط لوقف التصعيد
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019
نقلت قناة “المنار” عن الاعلام الاسرائيلي ان رئيس وزراء العدو بنيامين نتنياهو يطلب من الاميركيين والفرنسيين الضغط لوقف التصعيد.

القصف الاسرائيلي لم يتعد خراج بلدات مارون الراس وعيترون ويارون
وطنية – الأحد 01 أيلول 2019
أفاد مندوب “الوكالة الوطنية للاعلام” في تبنين محمد حسن بري، أن أجواء من الترقب والحذر تسود المنطقة الحدودية في قضاء بنت جبيل، بعد توقف قصف قوات العدو الاسرائلي لخراج بلدات مارون الراس وعيترون ويارون، موضحا أن القصف لم يتعد خراج البلدات الثلاث، خلافا لما تناقلته مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي عن قصف مدن وبلدات وقرى أخرى.

تحذير” اسرائيلي لنصرالله: كن رحيماً بلبنان وإلّا!
سكاي نيوز عربية/الاحد 01 أيلول 2019
حذر رئيس الأركان الإسرائيلي السابق بيني غانتز الأمين العام لحزب الله السيد حسن نصرالله مساء السبت من مغبة التصعيد على حدود إسرائيل، ودعاه إلى أن “يكون رحيما بلبنان”.وكتب غانتز منافس رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتانياهو في الانتخابات التشريعية، على تويتر متوجها لنصرالله “كن رحيما بلبنان ولا تجعل الجيش الإسرائيلي يعيده للعصر الحجري”. وأضاف “لبنان سيكون مسؤولا عن أي هجوم ينطلق من أراضيه”. ويأتي ذلك وسط توتر بين لبنان وإسرائيل بدأ قبل نحو أسبوع مع اتهام حزب الله إسرائيل بشن هجوم عبر طائرتين مسيرتين في ضاحية بيروت الجنوبية، قال إنهما كانتا محملتين بمواد متفجرة إحداهما سقطت بسبب عطل فني والثانية انفجرت، من دون أن يحدد هدف الهجوم.

مع تصاعد التوتر بين إسرائيل وحزب الله.. “بيان” من ماكرون
ليبانون ديبايت/الاحد 01 أيلول 2019
دعا الرئيس الفرنسي ايمانويل ماكرون إلى “التحرك لإنهاء القتال وفتح باب التفاوض في اليمن”، مطالبا “بأكبر قدر من ضبط النفس في لبنان مع تصاعد التوترات بين إسرائيل وحزب الله”. وأكّد ماكرون، بحسب بيان صادر عن مكتبه، “أهمية الديناميكية الحالية لتهيئة الظروف لخفض التصعيد من خلال الحوار وبناء حل دائم في المنطقة”. وقال الإليزيه إن باريس “ذكّرت بضرورة ان تمتثل إيران بالكامل لالتزاماتها النووية وان تتخذ الخطوات اللازمة من جانبها من اجل اعادة السلام والأمن في الشرق الأوسط”. وكان ماكرون قد أجرى اتصالاً هاتفيًا مع نظيره الايراني حسن روحاني الذي أكّد أنّ نهج الجمهورية الاسلامية الايرانية هو الحفاظ على الاتفاق النووي، مشدّدًا على أن بنود الاتفاق غير قابلة للتغيير. ووصف روحاني، مساعي باريس الرامية للحفاظ على الاتفاق النووي بانها جادة، وقال إن زيارة ظريف الى فرنسا حظيت بالاهمية على صعيدي الرأي العام والسياسي في المنطقة والعالم.

Hezbollah Missiles Hit Israeli Base, Military Vehicle on Lebanese Border; No Casualties
تقارير من الهآرتس تغطي استهداف حزب الله لآلية عسكرية إسرائيلية عبر الحدود من منطقة مارون الراس
Jack Khoury, Yaniv Kubovich and Noa Shpigel/Haaretz/September 01/2019
Lebanese army says Israel shelled southern Lebanon territory ■ Hezbollah claims Israelis killed ■ Incident comes after Nasrallah threatened to attack
Several anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon Sunday at an Israeli army base and military vehicle in Israel’s north, the Israeli army said, adding there were no casulaties on the Israeli side.Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV said that Hezbollah has destroyed an Israeli military vehicle near the border, and that the strike “killed and wounded those inside,” but the Israeli military later refuted those claims.
The Israeli military returned fire at the sources of the strike and at targets in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces said, later adding that after several hours the exchange of fire has ended.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has called on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and French President Emmanuel Macron to “intervene immediately” to de-escalate the situation, Hariri’s office said.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin opened his meeting with the Ethiopian president with a message to Hezbollah, saying that it is known to all those wishing to harm Israel that “We are ready and prepared to protect the citizens of Israel wherever they may be. We are ready, and we do not want to show you just how much.” He added, “Take heed that the quiet can prevail only on both sides of the border.”
The Lebanese army said that Israel fired more than 40 shells at border villages, causing blazes, and that the shelling that continued into the evening. The army did not report on Lebanese casaulties.
According to reports in Lebanese media, there was fire in the Maroun al-Ras area, on the Israeli border. The Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV channel reported that Israeli artillery strikes in the area are ongoing.
Across the border, residents of the Israeli communities of Avivim and Yiron reported hearing explosions. Avivim resident Eliezer Biton told Haaretz that exchanges of fire continue. “The community is locked down. Everyone is in shelters or protected rooms,” he said, speaking from his shelter. He was near the border, across from Maroun al-Ras, when the first strike took place. “We were ready for it. There’s been tension in past days,” he said.
Hezbollah announced that at a quarter past four on Sunday, one of its cells “hit an Israeli armored vehicle near Avivim and killed and wounded those inside.”
Israeli defense sources say Hezbollah’s offensive, which included missile fire at tanks and other military targets all at once, was designed to make it difficult for the IDF to respond immediately.
The Israeli army instructed municipalities near the border to open their shelters, and announced that residents who live up to four kilometers from the Lebanon border should remain in their homes and enter shelters if sirens sound. It also urged locals to cancel all activities along the border, including farming and children’s activities.
At Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, the helipad has been opened.  The IDF has set up roadblocks on arteries leading north, and is blocking traffic from entering northern towns. Earlier Sunday, the Lebanese army said that an Israeli drone violated Lebanon’s airspace and dropped incendiary material that sparked a fire in a pine forest by the border.
The Lebanese army statement said it was following up with UN peacekeepers in the area but gave no further details.
Other reports from Lebanon claimed that unmanned aerial vehicles dropped flammables on a grove nearby known as the Bastra Farm in order to set fire to the place so as to expose further targets. The Israeli army confirmed fires broke out in the area due to military action.
Over the weekend, illuminating bombs were hurled over the Shebba Farms, and Lebanese media outlets reported that fires were sparked as a result. The reported attack comes a day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his Shi’ite group will retaliate for drone attacks last week in Beirut that he has attributed to Israel “in every possible place along the border.”
“Our response for last week’s events will be [launched from] within Lebanon against Israeli targets. We usually strike in the area of the Shebba Farms [Mount Dov],” but this time the group will not limit its attacks on one area, he added.
The Israeli military bolstered troops on the northern border over the weekend due to concerns that such a retaliatory attack will take place.
The Israeli defense establishment still believes the Shi’ite group is determined to respond to the attack, but is not interested in sparking a war. Nonetheless, security forces are preparing for the possibility of a violent round of fighting that could lead to another strike in Lebanon. Aerial defense batteries have been deployed in the north to thwart drones and other umanned aerial vehicles that terror organization may try to launch to attack Israel. The Israeli army has also instructed that the airspace near the northern border be closed off. The Israel Navy, meanwhile, is preparing for possible attacks on Israeli vessels.
On Saturday, local residents reported seeing many troops moving around the area of the Golan Heights, and said they saw tanks and armored personnel carriers. Illuminating bombs were fired overnight on Friday near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, and Lebanese media outlets reported that the bombs had caused fires to break out in the area.
The Israeli military began preparing for a retaliatory attack by Hezbollah following an attack last week, which the group claimed Israel had carried out: Two explosive-laden drones hit a machine designed to improve precision missiles, which was being operated in Dahieh – a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. The Israeli defense establishment assessed that Hezbollah would try to retaliate but would react moderately; the army minimized patrols along the borders with Lebanon and Syria in order to avoid presenting possible targets for the group to attack.

No Injuries In Hezbollah Missile Salvo: Restrictions Lifted in North-IDF
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attack against IDF position and military ambulance near Avivim.
Jerusalem Post/August 01/2019
There were no injuries after several anti-tank missiles were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon towards an IDF base and military vehicles northern Israel, IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis confirmed Sunday afternoon.
“A number of anti-aircraft missiles were fired from Lebanon at an IDF base and military vehicles in the area,” the IDF said. “There are a number of confirmed hits.”According to Manelis, Hezbollah fired at least three Kornet anti-tank missiles at a military position and military ambulance at around 4 in the afternoon. There were no injuries or casualties. Manelis stated that while Hezbollah was able to carry out their retaliation, the military had been prepared for the scenario of an anti-tank missile attack and had taken the necessary precautions to ensure that there would be no casualties.
The military nevertheless warned that it was not yet sure if the attack on Avivim was the full extent of Hezbollah’s retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on Saturday night against an Iranian led cell in Syria which killed two Hezbollah members planning a drone attack on Israel. Following the Kornet attack, Israel’s military returned fire at targets in southern Lebanon, firing over 100 artillery shells as well as an airstrike against the cell responsible for the attack.
The military also ordered residents living within 4 kilometers of the border to remain in their homes and open their bomb shelters. Any activity along the border fence area, including agricultural work, is prohibited and the IDF urged residents of the area not to travel on open roads near the border.
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Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack near the community of Avivim.
The group was quoted by the Al Manar television channel as saying that “at 16.15 Hasan Zbeeb and Yasser Daher’s brigade destroyed an Israeli military vehicle near the border, killing and wounding those inside.”
Lebanese media reported that in retaliation the IDF shelled sites near the Lebanese border town of Maroun al-Ras but by 6.30PM a tense quiet returned to the border.
United Nations peacekeepers were reported to be in contact with officials from both sides in an effort to contain the of violence along the border.
“As UNIFIL is following up on the firing across the Blue Line, UNIFIL Force Commander and Head of Mission Major General Stefano Del Col is in contact with the parties urging the maximum restraint and asked to cease all activities endangering the cessation of hostilities,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
According to Manelis, UNIFIL Commander Maj.-Gen. Stefano Del Col was in Israel on Sunday morning and met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi who told him Israel’s position on Hezbollah and their precision missile project. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri called for the intervention of the United States, France and the international community to stop the escalation along the border.
Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was meeting with the President of Honduras at the time of the attack, was receiving constant updates on the situation along the northern border.
According to reports Netanyahu told reporters that “Lebanon will pay the price.” Israel’s enemies, especially Iran, should know that those who seek to destroy it risk destruction themselves, Netanyahu said earlier on Sunday, amid mounting tensions with Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.
Speaking to students on the first day of school in Elkana, Netanyahu said it is clear today that most of the terrorism Israel faces is organized, sponosred and funded from one place: Iran. “A new empire has arisen with the goal of defeating us,” he said. “They build proxies in Lebanon in the form of Hezbollah, in Gaza in the form of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They are trying to entrench themselves in Iraq to turn it into not only a country through which it can transfer arms to Syria and Hezbollah, but also to turn it into a launching pad for rockets and infiltrations against us.” Netanyahu said that Israel is fighting Iran on all these fronts, and is determined to prevent it from entrenching itself militarily in the region and from getting nuclear weapons, “which would unequivocally alter the balance.”
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin opened his meeting with the Ethiopian president warning that “we are ready and prepared to protect the citizens of Israel wherever they may be. We are ready, and we do not want to show you just how much. Take heed that the quiet can prevail only on both sides of the border.” Earlier on Sunday the Hezbollah affiliated al-Manar news channel reported that the IDF fired several shells were fired causing fires on the Lebanese side but no injuries. The Lebanese army reported that an Israeli drone dropped incendiary material on a forest along the border, sparking a fire. The statement by the Lebanse Armed Forces said that it was following up on the Israeli violation with UN peacekeepers.
“A short while ago, fires broke out in the Lebanese border area. The fires originate with operations by our forces in the area,” the IDF said in a statement.
Israel’s Northern Command has been on high alert since last week expecting a limited strike against military targets over strikes in Syria and an alleged Israeli drone attack in Beirut’s Dahiyeh last week. The military set up roadblocks on arteries leading north, and has blocked traffic from entering several towns along the border.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported on Saturday that the IDF launched over 30 flare bombs near the Lebanese border towns of Ghajar, Shebaa and Kfar Shuba as well and fired heavy machine guns near the villages of al-Semmaqah, al-Alam and al-Marsad.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Saturday evening that the military had also begun preparing ground, air, naval and intelligence troops for the possibility of an outbreak of violence in northern Israel, specifically in the Galilee. A convoy of artillery was seen been moved north by local residents.
In addition to the reinforcement of artillery batteries, Iron Dome missile defense batteries have been deployed and leave for combat soldiers in the area has been cancelled. The IDF has also closed the airspace to civilian flights, closing the civilian airport in Kiryat Shmona and has put the Navy on high alert for an attack by Hezbollah in Lebanon. The moves are part of the military’s strengthening of power and readiness in anticipation of any retaliation by the Lebanese Shiite terror group which it expects against IDF troops or a military installation along the border.
On Saturday night Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah warned that it was “ineveitable” that the group will retaliate against Israel which he said claimed responsibility for attacks on Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.
“Normally, we respond from Shebaa Farms, but this time I wanted to say it would be open-ended where we would retaliate from. This time it won’t be restricted to coming from Shebaa,” Nasrallah was quoted as saying by the Hezbollah affiliated al-Manar Television Channel.
“The first retaliation on the Israeli aggression would be initiating our right to down Israeli drones.Israel should know that the Lebanese airspace is not open to its drones and the Resistance will choose the right time and place to target the Israeli drones in our airspace,” he continued.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi toured the area on Friday and the Head of the Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram warned that Hezbollah and Lebanon would suffer a “harsh response” to any attack. “You should be preparing not for Hezbollah’s response against the IDF, but for their response to our response” to such an attack, Baram said, vowing that “if an IDF soldier is so much as scratched, our response will be harsh.”
*Herb Keinon contributed

Anti-tank Fire From Lebanon Targets Northern Israel, Israeli Army Says
Jack Khoury and Yaniv Kubovich/Haaretz/August 01/2019
Anti-tank fire emanating from Lebanon was aimed at Israeli territory, the Israeli military said Sunday afternoon. The army said it was looking into the incident. Earlier Sunday, the Lebanese army said that an Israeli drone violated Lebanon’s airspace and dropped incendiary material that sparked a fire in a pine forest by the border.The Lebanese army statement said it was following up with UN peacekeepers in the area but gave no further details.Other reports from Lebanon claimed that unmanned aerial vehicles dropped flammables on a grove nearby known as the Bastra Farm in order to set fire to the place so as to expose further targets.The Israeli army confirmed fires broke out in the area due to military action. The Israeli army announced that residents who live up to four kilometers from the Lebanon border should remain in their homes and open their shelters, but that there is no need to enter them unless sirens sound. It also urged locals to cancel all activities along the border. Over the weekend, illuminating bombs were hurled over the Shebba Farms, and Lebanese media outlets reported that fires were sparked as a result. The reported attack comes a day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his Shi’ite group will retaliate for drone attacks last week in Beirut that he has attributed to Israel “in every possible place along the border.””Our response for last week’s events will be [launched from] within Lebanon against Israeli targets. We usually strike in the area of the Shebba Farms [Mount Dov],” but this time the group will not limit its attacks on one area, he added. The Israeli military bolstered troops on the northern border over the weekend due to concerns that such a retaliatory attack will take place. The Israeli defense establishment still believes the Shi’ite group is determined to respond to the attack, but is not interested in sparking a war. Nonetheless, security forces are preparing for the possibility of a violent round of fighting that could lead to another strike in Lebanon. Aerial defense batteries have been deployed in the north to thwart drones and other umanned aerial vehicles that terror organization may try to launch to attack Israel. The Israeli army has also instructed that the airspace near the northern border be closed off. The Israel Navy, meanwhile, is preparing for possible attacks on Israeli vessels. On Saturday, local residents reported seeing many troops moving around the area of the Golan Heights, and said they saw tanks and armored personnel carriers. Illuminating bombs were fired overnight on Friday near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, and Lebanese media outlets reported that the bombs had caused fires to break out in the area. The Israeli military began preparing for a retaliatory attack by Hezbollah following an attack last week, which the group claimed Israel had carried out: Two explosive-laden drones hit a machine designed to improve precision missiles, which was being operated in Dahieh – a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. The Israeli defense establishment assessed that Hezbollah would try to retaliate but would react moderately; the army minimized patrols along the borders with Lebanon and Syria in order to avoid presenting possible targets for the group to attack.
Missiles Fired From Lebanon at Israeli Base;

Hezbollah Says Destroyed Military Vehicle
Jack Khoury, Yaniv Kubovich and Noa Shpigel/ Haaretz/September 01/2019
Lebanese army says Israel shelled southern Lebanon territory ■ Hezbollah claims Israelis killed ■ Incident comes after Nasrallah threatened to attack
Several anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon Sunday at an Israeli army base and military vehicles in Israel’s north, the Israeli army said, adding that “some targets” were hit.
Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV said that Hezbollah has destroyed an Israeli military vehicle near the border, and that the strike “killed and wounded those inside,” but the Israeli military later stated that there were no Israeli casualties.
The Israeli military returned fire at the sources of the strike and at targets in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces said , later adding that over 100 targets in Lebanon were hit and that after several hours the exchanges of fire have ended.
Lebanon map.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has called on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and French President Emmanuel Macron to “intervene immediately” to de-escalate the situation, Hariri’s office said.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin opened his meeting with the Ethiopian president with a message to Hezbollah, saying that it is known to all those wishing to harm Israel that “We are ready and prepared to protect the citizens of Israel wherever they may be. We are ready, and we do not want to show you just how much.” He added, “Take heed that the quiet can prevail only on both sides of the border.”
The Lebanese army said that Israel fired more than 40 shells at border villages, causing blazes, and that the shelling that continued into the evening. The army did not report on Lebanese casaulties.
According to reports in Lebanese media, there was fire in the Maroun al-Ras area, on the Israeli border. The Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV channel reported that Israeli artillery strikes in the area are ongoing.
Across the border, residents of the Israeli communities of Avivim and Yiron reported hearing explosions. Avivim resident Eliezer Biton told Haaretz that exchanges of fire continue. “The community is locked down. Everyone is in shelters or protected rooms,” he said, speaking from his shelter. He was near the border, across from Maroun al-Ras, when the first strike took place. “We were ready for it. There’s been tension in past days,” he said.
Hezbollah announced that at a quarter past four on Sunday, one of its cells “hit an Israeli armored vehicle near Avivim and killed and wounded those inside.”
Israeli defense sources say Hezbollah’s offensive, which included missile fire at tanks and other military targets all at once, was designed to make it difficult for the IDF to respond immediately.
The Israeli army instructed municipalities near the border to open their shelters, and announced that residents who live up to four kilometers from the Lebanon border should remain in their homes and enter shelters if sirens sound. It also urged locals to cancel all activities along the border, including farming and children’s activities.
At Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, the helipad has been opened.
The IDF has set up roadblocks on arteries leading north, and is blocking traffic from entering northern towns.
Earlier Sunday, the Lebanese army said that an Israeli drone violated Lebanon’s airspace and dropped incendiary material that sparked a fire in a pine forest by the border.
The Lebanese army statement said it was following up with UN peacekeepers in the area but gave no further details.
Other reports from Lebanon claimed that unmanned aerial vehicles dropped flammables on a grove nearby known as the Bastra Farm in order to set fire to the place so as to expose further targets.
The Israeli army confirmed fires broke out in the area due to military action.
Over the weekend, illuminating bombs were hurled over the Shebba Farms, and Lebanese media outlets reported that fires were sparked as a result.
The reported attack comes a day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his Shi’ite group will retaliate for drone attacks last week in Beirut that he has attributed to Israel “in every possible place along the border.”
“Our response for last week’s events will be [launched from] within Lebanon against Israeli targets. We usually strike in the area of the Shebba Farms [Mount Dov],” but this time the group will not limit its attacks on one area, he added.
The Israeli military bolstered troops on the northern border over the weekend due to concerns that such a retaliatory attack will take place.
The Israeli defense establishment still believes the Shi’ite group is determined to respond to the attack, but is not interested in sparking a war. Nonetheless, security forces are preparing for the possibility of a violent round of fighting that could lead to another strike in Lebanon. Aerial defense batteries have been deployed in the north to thwart drones and other umanned aerial vehicles that terror organization may try to launch to attack Israel. The Israeli army has also instructed that the airspace near the northern border be closed off. The Israel Navy, meanwhile, is preparing for possible attacks on Israeli vessels.
On Saturday, local residents reported seeing many troops moving around the area of the Golan Heights, and said they saw tanks and armored personnel carriers. Illuminating bombs were fired overnight on Friday near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, and Lebanese media outlets reported that the bombs had caused fires to break out in the area. The Israeli military began preparing for a retaliatory attack by Hezbollah following an attack last week, which the group claimed Israel had carried out: Two explosive-laden drones hit a machine designed to improve precision missiles, which was being operated in Dahieh – a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. The Israeli defense establishment assessed that Hezbollah would try to retaliate but would react moderately; the army minimized patrols along the borders with Lebanon and Syria in order to avoid presenting possible targets for the group to attack.

Hariri Asks Pompeo, French Presidency to Rein in Israel after Hizbullah Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Sunday urged the United States and France to “intervene” after Hizbullah traded cross-border fire with Israel. Hariri contacted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic adviser to ask for intervention by their countries “and the international community in facing the developments on the southern border,” Hariri’s office said in a statement. Hariri later contacted President Michel Aoun and informed him of the international contacts he made. He also called the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, who informed him of the measures taken by the army. Hariri later received a phone call from Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during which the flare-up was discussed. The premier also called Speaker Nabih Berri and put him in the picture of the phone talks he held with Arab and international officials. Hizbullah earlier said it had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle across the border and caused casualties, prompting retaliatory fire from the Israeli army. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli army later announced that the attack did not cause any casualties and that the exchange of fire had ended.

Hizbullah Attacks Israeli Vehicle, Netanyahu Says No Casualties
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/Naharnet/August 01/2019
Hizbullah announced Sunday it destroyed an Israeli military vehicle and killed and wounded those inside, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the attack did not cause any casualties. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said Israel retaliated to the operation by striking the “attack cell”, firing around 100 shells on south Lebanon and launching a number of helicopter raids. Another spokesman said in the evening that the exchange of fire was likely over and that there were no Israeli casualties despite damage on the Israeli side. “The tactical event near Avivim, the exchange of fire, is most likely over,” Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus told journalists, adding that a military ambulance was hit in the escalation. Prior to the Israeli announcements, video and picture footage had emerged of Israeli ambulances and helicopters apparently transferring wounded soldiers to hospitals. Hizbullah’s al-Manar television said the attack caused “four Israeli casualties,” noting that the Wolf-type vehicle usually fits eight personnel. The Israeli army had earlier confirmed that Israeli targets were “hit.””A number of anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon towards an (Israeli military) base and military vehicles,” the army said. “A number of hits have been confirmed. (Israel’s military) is responding with fire towards the sources of fire and targets in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli army added. The Israeli shelling concentrated on areas close to the border near the villages of Maroun el-Ras and Yaroun, triggering some fires. The Lebanese Army said Israel fired 40 shells into the south of the country. Hizbullah meanwhile claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying “the group of the martyrs Hassan Zbeeb and Yasser Daher destroyed a military vehicle on the road of the Avivim barracks” in northern Israel, “killing and wounding those who were inside” the vehicle. Zbeeb and Daher had been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Syria’s Aqraba region on August 24. Israel has been bracing for a possible attack by Hizbullah in response to the deadly strike and to a drone explosion blamed on Israel in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel and Hizbullah are bitter enemies that fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate. Despite their deep hostility, they have largely refrained from direct fighting for the past 13 years. The Israeli military said it had encouraged residents near the northern border with Lebanon to stay indoors and ordered public bomb shelters to open.

UNIFIL Urges ‘Restraint’ after Hizbullah Attack, Israeli Shelling
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019
The head of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon urged “maximum restraint” after Hizbullah traded fire with Israel across the border on Sunday, a spokesman said. “UNIFIL is following up on the firing across the Blue Line” between Lebanon and Israel, said Andrea Tenenti, spokesman for the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon. UNIFIL chief “Major General Stefano Del Col is in contact with the parties urging the maximum restraint and asked to cease all activities,” he told AFP.

Israel Fires Shells on Shebaa Farms as Drone Sets Forest Ablaze
Naharnet/August 01/2019
The Israeli army on Sunday fired several 155mm shells on the Jabal al-Rous area in the occupied Shebaa Farms and Kfarshouba Hills, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. It said the Israelis opened fire from their posts in the al-Zaoura area in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights.
An Israeli drone meanwhile dropped flammable material on a pine forest in Lebanon’s Bustra Farm, sparking a blaze, TV networks said. “Residents from the towns of Shebaa, Halta and Kfarshouba are trying to put out the fire,” NNA said, adding that Israeli forces had also dropped similar incendiary bombs on Jabal al-Rous.“Enemy forces are burning the forests in the Shebaa Farms to thwart the possibility of infiltration,” the agency added. Later on Sunday, Israeli forces fired heavy-caliber machineguns inside the Shebaa Farms as several blasts echoed from the Farms’ western edge, NNA said. Separately, the Israeli army resumed drilling works and the erection of sand barriers opposite Lebanon’s al-Wazzani park. Armored patrols were meanwhile roaming a road behind the sand barricade amid drone overflights over the towns and villages of the Marjeyoun district. Israeli forces had overnight fired a number of flares over the al-Abbad area facing the border town of Houla. The developments come amid high tensions between Israel and Hizbullah in connection with the Israeli attacks last Sunday in Syria and Lebanon and Hizbullah’s pledge to retaliate.

Israeli FM Slams Nasrallah as ‘Iranian Puppet’
Naharnet/August 01/2019
Pope Francis said Sunday he was late to his weekly Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday described Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as an “Iranian puppet,” hours after the Hizbullah leader reiterated that his group will retaliate against Israel over a deadly airstrike in Syria and a drone explosion over Beirut’s southern suburbs. “Nasrallah is an Iranian puppet who has taken charge of the file of the Iranian attack that had been planned from Syria, and most probably he had not been aware of it,” Katz tweeted in Arabic. “Meanwhile he is promoting to Lebanon’s residents tales about defending Lebanon. If he stays on this course, he will be remembered as someone who destroyed Lebanon,” the Israeli minister warned. Last Sunday’s drone attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs came just hours after Israel launched strikes in neighboring Syria to prevent what it said was an impending Iranian drone attack on Israeli territory. Hizbullah said two of its fighters were killed in those strikes and Nasrallah vowed retaliation. In his Saturday speech, Nasrallah vowed to retaliate “at all costs” and target Israeli drones, which often operate in Lebanese airspace. “The response will be open… from Lebanon,” he said, “in the Shebaa Farms or anywhere on the border.”The timing and scale of Hezbollah’s response, he added, was in the hands of field commanders.

On Israel’s Borders, Drone Rivalries Play Out
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019
Pope Francis said Sunday he was late to his weekly
Long a pioneer in drone technology, Israel today sees its superiority challenged by Iran and its ally Hizbullah which are also developing military UAVs.
The past week has illustrated the complex and shifting dynamics. On August 24, Israel struck what it said was an attempt to stop an Iranian force from launching a cross-border drone attack from a Syrian village. A day later, two drones which Lebanon said were Israeli crashed in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, an area dominated by Israel’s longtime foe Hizbullah. The Lebanese Army later fired at a number of Israeli drones over the southern border. On Saturday, Hizullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed that Israel “must pay a price” for the August 25 strike.On Sunday, Iran unveiled what it said was a new reconnaissance and attack drone with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers. Meanwhile in Iraq, Israel has been accused of being behind several attacks and drone sightings against a paramilitary group. Israel has not confirmed its involvement. Israel also has not claimed responsibility for the drones found in Beirut’s suburbs but accused Hizbullah of making precision missiles in the neighborhood, allegations that may well have been formulated with the help of drone surveillance. Israel’s use of unmanned aircraft for gathering information is hardly new. In 1982, during a war in Lebanon, Israel was equipped with drones. After the October war of 1973, in which neighboring Arab states caught Israel unaware, it began developing drones to gather real-time information on its rivals.”In the first Lebanon war, in 1982, the system was operational. It was a surveillance system — real-time, optical intelligence by camera,” French-Israeli David Hariri, who led the project, told AFP. They were gradually fitted with infrared cameras, lasers to identify specific targets and electromagnetic intelligence systems, Hariri, often dubbed the father of Israeli drones, added. “The soldiers had been ordered to use them but they were a bit of mockery — ‘what are we going to do with a small plane like that?'” he recalled.Things changed after they showed their value on the battlefield, he said.
Harari said Israel was the first country to create such a national drone program in its military.
Drone ‘nation’
Israel, self-dubbed the “start-up nation”, has developed its sector and is now a leading light in the global UAV market. Today, about 50 local start-ups are working on drone prototypes, according to Israel’s economy ministry, which says the industry is worth billions. Israel was the leading global exporter of drones between 2005 to 2013, according to a study by a specialist firm. But the drone industry is moving fast with miniaturization, the commercialization of low-cost recreational devices and new players like China, Russia and Iran challenging U.S. and Israeli dominance. “We were the first ones, that is true, but (today) everybody is using them,” Uzi Rubin, former head of Israel’s missile defense and now an analyst with the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said. Smaller drones flying at low altitudes can carry explosive charges and attack military bases or other strategic sites. “This is a threat to any military because it can drop explosives very accurately on key sensitive installations,” Rubin said.
Rivals
Israeli companies such as Skylock and Elbit are developing technologies to take remote control of drones without damaging them, enabling them to recover data from the devices. In October 2012, what was believed to be an Iranian surveillance drone sent by Hizbullah traveled over the Mediterranean to fly for half an hour over the Negev desert, where Israeli nuclear installations are allegedly located, before being shot down. And last year, Israel accused Iran of flying a drone in its airspace on an attack mission. Iranian drone development has given its Lebanese ally Hizbullah access to new air intelligence and attack capabilities, Israeli researcher Liran Antebi recently noted. The war between Israel and Hizbullah in 2006 was the first in history when the number of flight hours of unmanned aircraft was higher than that by manned, according to a study by the University of Tel Aviv. But at the time, the drones were overwhelmingly Israeli. While Israel retains its technological superiority, “Hizbullah is becoming more and more of a military organization that is equipped with advanced weapon systems such as both military and commercial UAVs,” Antebi wrote. To its fleet of drones Hizbullah may add anti-drone systems, its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah recently claimed. “Whenever Israeli drones enter Lebanon’s airspace, we will try to shoot them down,” he said this week, promising that the days when Israeli drones flew over Lebanon unhindered were over.

Drones Banned over Several Lebanese Areas for Ashoura
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 01/2019
The Lebanese Army said Sunday it will ban drones over majority Shiite areas during the ten days of the Shiite Ashoura commemoration, following tensions with Israel over an alleged drone attack last week. Hizbullah has vowed that Israel “must pay a price” for what it says was a drone strike on one of its strongholds, the southern suburbs of Beirut. “The army’s command warns all citizens against the use of drones throughout the duration of Ashoura commemorations in the following areas: the southern suburbs of Beirut, Nabatieh, Tyre and Baalbek-Hermel,” it said in a statement. Ashoura is one of the holiest events in Shiite Islam and it commemorates the seventh century killing of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Imam Hussein. This year’s commemorations come amid soaring tensions with Israel, which is accused of flying two explosive-laden drones over the capital’s southern suburbs on August 25. Hizbullah said the pre-dawn drone attack “hit a specific area,” without elaborating on the nature of the target. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Saturday his group’s response to the incident had been “decided.”
“The need for a response is decided,” he said during a televised speech, adding it was about “establishing the rules of engagement and… the logic of protection for the country.”Israel “must pay a price,” he said. He vowed to retaliate “at all costs” and target Israeli drones, which often operate in Lebanese airspace. In a rare incident on Wednesday, the Lebanese Army opened fire on Israeli drones that had violated Lebanon’s airspace, forcing the aircraft to return across the border. Israel and Hizbullah have fought several wars, the most recent a 33-day conflict in 2006, which killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Lebanese Army Says Israeli Drone Drops Incendiary Material in South
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 1 September, 2019
The Lebanese army announced Sunday that an Israeli drone breached Lebanon’s airspace and dropped incendiary material in the South. The material was dropped above Bastra Farm and caused a fire in a forest on the border. The army said it was following up on the development with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The Israeli military said: “A short while ago, fires broke out in the Lebanese border area. The fires originate with operations by our forces in the area.”Tensions between Lebanon and Israel have been high throughout the week after two suspected Israeli drones went down in Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs on August 25. The Lebanese army and Iran-backed Hezbollah said one exploded and one crashed, causing damage to Hezbollah’s media center. A security official in the region has described the target of the drone strikes as linked to precision-guided missile projects.Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate. On Saturday, the Israeli military said it had ordered extra forces to deploy its northern command.

Nasrallah: We Will Retaliate for Drone Attacks Everywhere We Can Along Border With Israel
Yaniv Kubovich, Noa Shpigel and Jack Khoury/Haaretz/August 31/2019
Military restricts movement and sends backup troops as it braces for retaliation after Hezbollah blames Israel for drone strikes
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Saturday that his Shi’ite group will retaliate for drone attacks last week in Beirut that he has attributed to Israel “in every possible place along the border.””Our response for last week’s events will be [launched from] within Lebanon against Israeli targets. We usually strike in the area of the Shebba Farms [Mount Dov],” but this time the group will not limit its attacks on one area, he added. The Israeli military bolstered troops on the northern border over the weekend over the concern that such a retaliatory attack will take place. The movement of combat soldiers in the area has been restricted, and extra battalions have been brought in as reinforcement alongside armored corps and artillery corps soldiers already stationed there. The Israeli defense establishment still believes the Shi’ite group is determined to respond to the attack, but is not interested in sparking a war. Nonetheless, security forces are preparing for the possibility of a violent round of fighting that could lead to another strike in Lebanon. Aerial defense batteries have been deployed in the north to thwart drones and other umanned aerial vehicles that terror organization may try to launch to attack Israel. The Israeli army has also instructed that the airspace near the northern border be closed off. The Israel Navy, meanwhile, is preparing for possible attacks on Israeli vessels. On Saturday, local residents reported seeing many troops moving around the area of the Golan Heights, and said they saw tanks and armored personnel carriers. Illuminating bombs were fired overnight on Friday near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, and Lebanese media outlets reported that the bombs had caused fires to break out in the area. The Israeli military began preparing for a retaliatory attack by Hezbollah following an attack Sunday morning, which the group claimed Israel had carried out: Two explosive-laden drones hit a machine designed to improve precision missiles, which was being operated in Dahieh – a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. The Israeli defense establishment assessed that Hezbollah would try to retaliate but would react moderately; the army minimized patrols along the borders with Lebanon and Syria in order to avoid presenting possible targets for the group to attack.Earlier this week, Nasrallah called the crashed drones a clear display of aggression by Israel, the first since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. He added that the Israel Defense Forces should expect an immediate response. Hezbollah’s conflict with Israel is entering a new phase, Nasrallah said, and the group will down any Israeli unmanned aircraft in Lebanese airspace.Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Naim Kassem added afterwards that the group will respond to the drone attack in Beirut unexpectedly, but that they are not interested in war with Israel. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that the drone strikes amount to a “declaration of war,” and that Lebanon has the right to defend its sovereignty in light of the attack. On Wednesday, the Lebanese army announced that it shot at three IDF drones that entered Lebanese territory. In an exceptional move, the Israeli military revealed Thursday details about Hezbollah’s project to increase the accuracy of its missiles, aided by Iran’s Quds Force, which has been accelerated in past months. According to the IDF, they publicized the project in order to deny Hezbollah the opportunity to hide the project’s site in Lebanon.The timing of the revelation may be intended to send a message to Hezbollah that if it responds to the last attacks attributed to Israel, the missile accuracy project may take the hit. The IDF believes that revealing the site of the project will give legitimacy to Israel to strike them in the event of tension between Israel and Hezbollah, and hope that Arab countries will act to stop the project. During the last round of escalations between the two sides, in 2015, Hezbollah launched anti-tank missiles at a hillside of Mount Dov, killing an IDF officer and soldier. The missile attack was a response to strikes attributed to Israel in the Syrian Golan, which killed senior Hezbollah leader Jihad Mughniyeh and an Iranian general.