The IDF has prepared response options for the political echelon following the Hezbollah drone strike on Israeli forces, according to Kan News. An Israeli source said one option involves carrying out operations that were previously rejected due to regional escalation and U.S. requests not to divert attention to Lebanon. The source added that Israel has the right to respond to the drone strike even under the ceasefire agreement.
The political echelon is now considering 'sensitive' operations against Hezbollah that were previously rejected due to regional escalation and U.S. requests, according to a Kan News report Wednesday evening. The report cites an Israeli source saying the IDF has prepared response options following the Hezbollah drone strike on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon earlier today, and that Israel retains the right to respond under the ceasefire agreement.
The development marks a significant escalation in the options under discussion. Earlier today, at 11:18 Jerusalem time, The Zioneer reported that a Hezbollah explosive drone had struck an IDF engineering vehicle in southern Lebanon, with no casualties reported. The IDF formally confirmed the strike and described it as a ceasefire violation. Over the following hours, Israeli sources indicated that a response was under discussion. By 20:01 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the IDF had expressed a desire to retaliate but was awaiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's final authorization.
The current incident is the latest in a series of ceasefire violations by Hezbollah. As The Zioneer reported, the group has continued to operate south of the Litani River. On June 20, Hezbollah launched over 50 rockets and mortars at IDF troops overnight, prompting Israeli airstrikes on dozens of Hezbollah targets. The broader security environment has remained tense despite the formal ceasefire framework.
What remains unclear is whether the political echelon will authorize the 'sensitive' operations, and what the threshold for a response will be. The situation remains under assessment.
13 developments
- ConfirmedIsraeli analyst: Hezbollah is testing Israel, missed chance to strike Ali al-Taher tunnels
- DevelopingIDF: Hezbollah drone aimed to help operatives escape underground complex on Ali al-Taher ridge
- DevelopingAnalysis: Measured response to Hezbollah drone attack on IDF vehicle enables further strikes on Yellow Line
- DevelopingLebanese channels: IDF drones drop incendiary bombs on Ali al-Taher ridge
Source and signal
- Open-source intake