by Joshua Marks
Lawmakers gave Israel's premier and defense minister the green light to decide the manner and timing of the retaliation for the terror group's deadly strike on the Golan Heights.
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The aftermath of a Hezbollah rocket attack in the Druze town of Majdal Shams, July 27, 2024. Photo by Michael Giladi/Flash90. |
Israel’s Security Cabinet on Sunday night authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to retaliate against Hezbollah for Saturday’s deadly strike on Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights.
During a four-hour meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, lawmakers gave Netanyahu and Gallant the green light “to decide on the manner and timing of the response” against Iran’s Lebanese terror proxy.
Twelve children were killed and more than 40 people were wounded by the Hezbollah missile strike on the northern Druze town, marking the Iranian proxy’s deadliest attack on Israel since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre.
Following the attack, Netanyahu returned early from his visit to the United States, landing in Israel on Sunday and holding a security assessment at the Kirya in the afternoon with Gallant, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director Ronen Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other top officials.
Mossad chief David Barnea also participated in the security meeting after returning from multilateral hostage release and ceasefire negotiations in Rome earlier in the day.
On Sunday, thousands of members of the Druze community held funerals for 10 of the 12 slain children, who ranged in age from 10 to 16. The memorial services took place as leaders and members of the community demanded a swift and harsh response against Hezbollah for the rocket attack.
The Israeli Defense Forces said that the
missile used in the attack was a Falaq 1 with a 53-kilogram (117-pound)
warhead, made by Iran. The source of the launch was an area north of
Shebaa in Southern Lebanon, according to the military.
This is the Iranian-made rocket that Hezbollah shot toward Majdal Shams yesterday.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 28, 2024
Iran spends their money enabling their proxies to commit acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. pic.twitter.com/CrzPSjj8m7
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Monday morning that two people were killed and three wounded in an Israeli drone strike in Southern Lebanon, between the towns of Mays al-Jabal and Shaqra. The Lebanese Civil Defense did not say if the dead were terrorists or civilians.
The IDF did not immediately confirm the report, which would be the first deadly Israeli strike in Lebanon since the Majdal Shams massacre.
Hezbollah said in separate announcements on Monday afternoon that two of its members were killed in the alleged IDF drone strike.
Earlier on Monday morning, the IDF said that its aerial defense array had intercepted a UAV that crossed from Lebanon into the Western Galilee. The threat triggered sirens in the areas of Kibbutz Adamit and Moshav Ya’ara and rocket and missile sirens were sounded due to the risk of falling shrapnel.
No casualties were reported.
Cross-border attacks continued on Monday afternoon, with a barrage of enemy rockets striking open areas near the Gomeh Junction, just south of Kiryat Shmona, according to the IDF. No injuries were reported in this incident.
Drone alert sirens sounded in several communities near the border with Lebanon on Monday afternoon.
Joshua Marks
Source: https://www.jns.org/israels-security-cabinet-authorizes-response-to-hezbollah-attack/
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