IDF combat helicopters and aircraft attacked Hezbollah terrorist targets early Wednesday morning following Tuesday’s incident on the northern border.
The attack targeted observation posts of the terrorist organization located near the border with Lebanon.
"The IDF considers the Lebanese government responsible for what happens in its territory. The IDF views the incident very seriously. Any attempt to violate the sovereignty of the State of Israel is a serious incident. The IDF will continue to maintain a high level of readiness in order to protect Israeli sovereignty and security,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.
Tuesday night’s security incident occurred around 10:40 p.m. near Kibbutz Menara when fire was opened toward IDF forces who were operating in the area. There were no injuries among the Israeli forces.
The troops responded by firing dozens of flash bombs and smoke shells.
Following the security incident in the north, the residents of Yiftach, Menara, Margaliot, Misgav Am and Malkia have been ordered to stay in their homes. Those restrictions were lifted early Wednesday morning.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that the residents "are prohibited from any activity in an open space, including agricultural work. Residents are required to stay in their homes and upon receiving a warning, to immediately enter a protected area - security/emergency room, shared shelter, internal stairwell or internal room in the house, close doors and windows and stay there for 10 minutes."
"Please keep up to date with the guidelines disseminated in the media and obey the instructions of the security forces and the IDF operating in the area," the statement added.
According to one report, gunfire that was heard from the Lebanese side of the border alerted IDF forces who fired dozens of flares and conducted searches in the area.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was staying with his family on vacation at a hotel in Tzfat on Tuesday night. His office announced that he was holding security discussions following the incident and receiving regular updates about it.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz also held consultations with Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi following the incident.
About a month ago, an attempt was made to infiltrate Israeli territory near Har Dov in the vicinity of the Hermon. An IDF force identified the infiltration and opened fire.
The incident ended without any injuries, and the intruders fled into Lebanese territory. Israel filed a formal complaint with the UN Security Council following the incident.