By Max Bartels
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
Jerusalem, Israel
Three causalities have been confirmed from an attack on an Israeli military convoy and the resulting retaliation by Israeli forces. Anti-tank missiles were fired at the convoy in the Sheeba farms area, an area where the borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria meet.. Hezbollah has claimed the attack is retaliation for the Israeli airstrike that killed six of its fighters as well as an Iranian Revolutionary Guards General in the Golan Heights Area. The Israeli military responded with ground and air operations including firing at least 50 artillery shells into Lebanon where they claimed Hezbollah operational positions were along the border.
Two of the causalities were Israeli soldiers in the convoy as well as one U.N Peace Keeper. The U.N did not release the nationality of the peacekeeper however, the Spanish Prime Minister’s Twitter feed expressed sadness at the death of a Spanish Soldier in Lebanon. The Spanish Defense Ministry later confirmed that the peacekeeper was a Spanish soldier. A spokes person for the U.N force in Lebanon urged maximum restraint to prevent an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. At this point it is unknown whether the Israeli military or Hezbollah killed the Spanish soldier, the IDF is reported to be investigating the incident. Some reports suggest that the peacekeeper was killed by the Israeli retaliatory strikes in Lebanon.
An hour after the attack on the convoy an Israeli military position on Mount Hermon came under mortar fire and Israeli authorities evacuated a nearby ski resort. Israel reports that none were harmed during the attack. Lebanese officials stated that to their knowledge none were harmed by the Israeli artillery strikes, which reportedly missed populated villages in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called the attack on the convoy a “criminal terror attack” and further stated that Israel will not hesitate to retaliate on all fronts. Recently Israeli aircraft bombed Syrian Army artillery positions after rockets were fired from Syria into the Israeli occupied Golan Heights region. These recent events have been the most deadly since the 2006 Hezbollah attack on an Israeli convoy that started a month long war in Lebanon. Both U.N and Israeli officials have expressed their hope that events do not escalate further.
For more information, please see:
BBC News — Three Killed as Israel and Hezbollah Clash on Lebanese Border — 28 January 2015
Aljazeera — Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Missile Attack — 28 January 2015
Yahoo News — Lebanese Hezbollah Hits Israeli Convoy, Killing 2 Soldiers — 28 January 2015
