IDF downs ‘suspicious aerial target,’ hits Hezbollah in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory on Monday, amid an ongoing low-intensity conflict with Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

In response, IDF artillery shelled terror targets in Lebanon and IAF fighter jets struck an anti-tank missile squad.

The military confirmed that several rockets were also launched towards the Jewish state.

Later on Monday, Israeli Air Force jets struck a series of Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including a command center and a rocket launch site.

Additionally, Israeli troops identified and attacked a terror cell operating in a Hezbollah-controlled area.

The IDF also said that a drone infiltration alert was activated in northern Israel following several launches from Lebanon.

The military responded by shelling the sources of the fire.

On Sunday, Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon fired an anti-tank missile at Kibbutz Sasa, close to the border. The IDF shelled the source of the launches and aircraft conducted a series of strikes targeting Hezbollah terrorist sites.

“If Hezbollah wants to go up a level, we will go up five,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant while visiting troops along the northern border on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Gallant told local leaders in northern Israel that Jerusalem plans to remove Hezbollah from Southern Lebanon.

On Sunday, he vowed to restore security to the north so that residents of border communities could return to their homes.

“We will do this either through an agreement, or using force,” said Gallant.

“We don’t want war, but we won’t hold it for too long,” he added.

On Saturday, an Israel Defense Forces reservist was killed and two others were wounded when an armed drone launched from Lebanon struck near the Eastern Galilee moshav of Margaliot.