One dead from Hezbollah rocket
Israel sets up exclusion zone on Lebanese border
October 15, 2023, 12:12 p.m
The Hezbollah militia attacks Israel with rockets from Lebanon. One person dies in the latest shelling. The Israeli army is now setting up a restricted zone in the border area. It imposes rules of conduct on the population living there.
After repeated attacks on Israel by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia from southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has declared a four-kilometer-wide strip of the border area a restricted zone. The Israeli army said it was forbidden to enter this zone. Civilians living there “up to two kilometers from the border are instructed to stay close to shelters,” it said. The use of GPS-based navigation systems will also be restricted in active combat zones. Civilians in the region should be aware that this could lead to disruption.
According to Israeli medics, an approximately 40-year-old person was recently killed in a new Hezbollah attack on Israel. Three other men were injured. The Israeli news site ynet reported that the fatality was a worker in the town of Shtula.
Hezbollah said it fired a rocket at Israeli positions near the demarcation line. There were also victims. Lebanese security sources said the Israeli army responded with artillery fire. According to Israeli military information, soldiers in the Israeli border area were then attacked from Lebanon with anti-tank missiles. The Israeli army then attacked Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah said it was retaliating for Friday’s shelling that killed a journalist. An Israeli army spokesman said the incident was still under investigation.
Worry about escalation
Since the terrorist attacks by the Islamist Hamas on Israel and the counterattacks by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip, there have been regular incidents on the border between Israel and Lebanon in recent days, raising concerns about further escalation. The pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia is active in southern Lebanon.
Israeli army spokesman Richard Hecht said Hezbollah “must be very careful and not drag Lebanon into this.” This would be “a very bad decision,” he emphasized. “It would plunge Lebanon into a catastrophe.” Hezbollah is considered to be significantly more powerful than Hamas. Since the last war with Israel in 2006, it has massively expanded its capabilities. According to the latest estimates from the Israeli army, the organization has an arsenal of more than 100,000 rockets.