Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday warned Hezbollah of a "strong and powerful response" to any further possible attacks, hours after the IDF said a cell from the terror group crossed the Lebanon border into Israel.
"We take a severe view of this infiltration attempt into our territory," said Netanyahu during a joint press conference in Tel Aviv, warning that the Hezbollah terror group was "playing with fire."
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Defense Minister Benn Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of a press conference in Tel Aviv on Monday night
The joint press conference came hours after a group of militants, which the IDF identified as belonging to Hezbollah, infiltrated briefly across the border between Israel and Lebanon.
The infiltration led to an exchange of fire with IDF troops stationed in the area, and the Hezbollah cell retreated back into Lebanon.
There were no Israeli casualties, the army said.
"Hezbollah and Lebanon bear responsibility for this event and for all attacks aimed at Israel from Lebanon," the prime minister said.
"Hezbollah must know it is playing with fire. All attacks against us will be met with brute force. [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah already made a huge mistake in underestimating Israel's will to defend itself and Lebanon will pay for this a heavy price. I suggest he does not make this mistake again."
Gantz, speaking after Netanyahu, also affirmed that the cell attempting to infiltrate into Israel belonged to Hezbollah.
He praised the IDF troops and their officers for their conduct, which he said "helped to prevent a serious incident that could have cost human lives."
He added that, "Israel is determined more than ever to protect its sovereignty, its soldiers and especially its people."
"Lebanon and Syria are sovereign nations and they must bear the painful resposibility for any terrorist activities within their borders," Gantz said.
"Those who dare to test the IDF's might risk themselves and the nation from which they operate. Any action against Israel will be met with a sharp, painful and powerful response," the former IDF chief said.
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Smoke rises as IDF troops and Lebanese-based militant exchange fire along the shared border
The Iran-backed terror group, for its part, denied any involvement in the incident.
Hezbollah said in its statement that Monday's incident was "one-sided" and that Israeli forces had "moved nervously on the ground" due to a heightened state of alert.
"There were no clashes or opening of fire from our side in today's events," it said. "Our response to the martyrdom of Ali Kamel [Mohsen]... will surely come."