Israeli Soldiers Kill Gunmen Crossing Border from Lebanon: Possible New Front Opens Amidst Gaza Conflict
JERUSALEM, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Israeli soldiers, backed by helicopters, killed at least two gunmen who crossed the border from Lebanon on Monday, the military said. This incident raises the possibility of a new front opening as Israel’s forces continue to battle Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.
A Hezbollah official denied any involvement in the attack, stating that the group had not mounted any operation into Israel. Officials from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, residents in southern Lebanon reported leaving their homes along the border with Israel due to heavy shelling in the area. Although the outskirts of towns and villages have been pounded, no civilian casualties have been reported so far.
The risk of escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border had already been heightened in recent months, even before the ongoing conflicts in Israel and Gaza. Just a day before, Hezbollah and Israel exchanged artillery and rocket fire.
In a statement, the Israeli military confirmed that its soldiers “killed a number of armed suspects that infiltrated into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory.” However, it did not provide any further details on the number of casualties. Military helicopters are currently engaged in strikes in the area.
According to a security source in Lebanon, a group of men approached the border, with one of them firing at an Israeli observation post. The location of the incident was reported to be near Adamit, across from the Lebanese border towns of Aalma El Chaeb and Zahajra.
The U.N.’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon is aware of the incident but has no further details at this time. Lebanon’s army has not yet commented on the situation.
Gabi Hage, a resident near the border, described heavy shelling close to his home and the evacuation of his neighborhood. “Our house is really close to the border, so we’re leaving and going down to the village. All my neighbors are doing the same thing,” Hage said.
Reporting by Laila Bassam, Timour Azhari, and Maya Gebeily in Beirut, and Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Nick Macfie, and Tomasz Janowski
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