Hezbollah terrorist killed after trying to cross into Israel from Lebanon

A Hezbollah member was killed by IDF fire on Friday when protesters tried to storm the border with Lebanon and Israel as anger boils in the Arab world over the latest violence between Israel and Hamas.

Dozens of protesters had approached the border near the town of Metulla several times on Friday and, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency, a number of “demonstrators tried to enter the border town of Metulla.”

The protestors had Palestinian, Lebanese and Hezbollah flags with them when they approached the fence.

The IDF identified a group of protesters who left objects near the border that they suspected were explosive devices. Three suspects cut the border fence and crossed into Israel where they were joined by another four suspects; they then started a fire inside Israeli territory, which spread to Lebanese territory.

“The behavior of the suspects indicated that they were planning to commit a terror attack in Metulla,” the military said in a statement.

During the event, the IDF shot one suspect identified by Hezbollah’s news outlet Al-Manar as Mohammad Tahhan in the leg. He later died of his wounds.

Residents of Metulla were ordered to stay indoors for fear of infiltration by the Lebanese forces as IDF forces remain deployed along the border to ensure that there are no further incidents.

Following the incident, Lebanese President Michel Aoun ordered the country’s foreign minister to notify the UN of what had occurred, at the same time as Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri called for the international community to condemn the killing of the Lebanese protestor.

Hariri said that the event had violated the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The event came a day after three rockets were fired from southern Lebanon, landing in the sea off of the northern coast of Israel. Hezbollah distanced itself from the rocket fire; it is believed that a Palestinian group fired the rockets.

The disturbances along the Lebanese border continued on Saturday evening, when rioters once again approached the fence, damaging it with Molotov cocktails and other items.

The IDF have continued to work to maintain order in the area, and shots were fired in the direction of a number of rioters. The riots are occuring at a distance from Israeli civilians.

Also on Friday, three rockets were launched from Syria toward Israel. One of the rockets failed to launch, falling on the Syrian side of the border. The other two rockets fell in an open space, leading to only open air sirens being sounded. No injuries were reported.

The Palestinian Tahir Brigade stationed in Syria claimed responsibility for the rockets shortly after they were launched them.

Source: JP