IDF officials in the Northern Command say that Hizbullah is trying to heat up the Lebanese border with northern Israel. Yesterday, IDF soldiers noticed two armed men cross the border near Ma'yan Baruch, called upon them to stop, and shot them dead when they didn't. This occurred only a few hours after a string of Hizbullah-planted explosives was found on the Israeli side of the border.
The suspected terrorists, in their early 20's, were wearing dark clothes and high boots. They were found to be carrying hunting rifles and ammunition, but their motives are suspected of being far more sinister. Although "we may never know who they really were," as Galilee Formation Commander Brig.-Gen. Ya'ir Golan said afterwards, it is possible that their intentions were to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler reports that Hizbullah chieftain Sheikh Nasrallah threatened a few weeks ago that if the Dirani-Tenenbaum deal did not go through, he would kidnap additional Israeli soldiers.
The deal in question was decided upon a month ago by the Cabinet. It involves the release of 400 Arab terrorists, including Mustafa Dirani, the abductor of Ron Arad, in exchange for the kidnapped hostage Elchanan Tenenbaum and the bodies of three slain IDF soldiers. However, Hizbullah then demanded that murderer Samir Kuntar - whose terrorist infiltration into Israel in 1979 led to the deaths of four Israelis, including two children and their father - be included in the deal. Israel refused to do so, and this led to Nasrallah's threat, the actualization of which may have been attempted yesterday.
IDF forces in the north are on high alert. The explosives that were found yesterday - the third such set to be discovered in the past few months - was set to be detonated by remote control by the terrorists in Lebanon. The IDF invited UN observers to document the find.
The suspected terrorists, in their early 20's, were wearing dark clothes and high boots. They were found to be carrying hunting rifles and ammunition, but their motives are suspected of being far more sinister. Although "we may never know who they really were," as Galilee Formation Commander Brig.-Gen. Ya'ir Golan said afterwards, it is possible that their intentions were to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler reports that Hizbullah chieftain Sheikh Nasrallah threatened a few weeks ago that if the Dirani-Tenenbaum deal did not go through, he would kidnap additional Israeli soldiers.
The deal in question was decided upon a month ago by the Cabinet. It involves the release of 400 Arab terrorists, including Mustafa Dirani, the abductor of Ron Arad, in exchange for the kidnapped hostage Elchanan Tenenbaum and the bodies of three slain IDF soldiers. However, Hizbullah then demanded that murderer Samir Kuntar - whose terrorist infiltration into Israel in 1979 led to the deaths of four Israelis, including two children and their father - be included in the deal. Israel refused to do so, and this led to Nasrallah's threat, the actualization of which may have been attempted yesterday.
IDF forces in the north are on high alert. The explosives that were found yesterday - the third such set to be discovered in the past few months - was set to be detonated by remote control by the terrorists in Lebanon. The IDF invited UN observers to document the find.