Members of the Hizbullah terror organization were planted among the hundreds of Syrian rioters who tried to breach Israel's northern border on "Naksa day," according to documents released by the IDF spokesperson's office this week.
The IDF said, despite the Lebanese army declaring the border between the two countries a closed military area and attempting to prevent the arrival of the demonstrators, Hizbullah provocateurs were able to incite violent demonstrations on the Syrian border.
The attempted breach of Israel's border with Syria, in which it was claimed some 20 Syrians were killed, was vocally praised by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who spoke from his hiding place praising the rioters.
Nasrallah had previously issued a statement praising the protesters and saying they gave new meaning to the 'struggle against Israel.'
"...your homes, your land, your holy places are a right, a destiny and purpose ... For which blood, a life of heavy sacrifices, will be paid," Nasrallah said.
Last Sunday IDF forces confronted hundreds of Syrian protesters who made repeated, provocative attempts to breach Syria's the international border with Israel. During the riots demonstrators threw stones and Molotov cocktails at IDF forces, who responded with riot control measures.
The IDF had previously warned civilians against attempting to breach Israel's border, dropping flyers in Arabic and firing into the air. When warnings were ignored the IDF, suspecting the now confirmed presence of terrorists, opened fire on would-be infiltrators targeting the lower body.
In the afternoon, Molotov cocktails were thrown by Syrian protesters at IDF forces, which set fire to the Syrian side field of thorns. As a result of the ensuing blaze four mines detonated on the Syrian side of the border, causing the fatalities.
The IDF report that Hizbullah terrorists were among the rioters follows Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's pointed criticism of Assad's regime saying Syria intentionally allowed the rioters to reach the border.
It was broadly reported Assad paid the rioters $1000 dollars each to stir up trouble on Israel's border in an attempt to shift international attention away from his regime's bloody crackdown, which has resulted in more than 1000 Syrian deaths.
Collusion between Assad and Hizbullah, which the Syrian president regards as an important strategic partner, is not uncommon.