Possible security incident in north prompts IDF to close roads
IDF closes roads in north as tensions rise after alleged Israeli attack kills Iranian general, Hezbollah fighters in Syria; roads reopened shortly after.
A number of roads were closed Sunday evening amid a possible security incident along Israel's northern border. The news comes after an attack attributed to Israel killed a top Iranian general and members of Hezbollah in Syria. Shortly afterwards the roads were reopened, indicating that if there was en event it had come to an end.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon arrived at the IDF northern command on Friday in Safed after increased IDF activity in northern Israel. After threats made by Hezbollah about an imminent attack on Israel following an alleged Israeli airstrike in Lebanon last week, Ya'alon urged citizens and tourists to continue on with their routines.
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"I call on the resident of the north and the tourists in the area to continue with their routine and to adhere to the IDF's instructions if the need arises," said Ya'alon.
"We must be ready and prepared for attempts to challenge us after the calls heard on the other side," said Ya'alon.
A northern section of Route 4, the old coastal road, was closed last Tuesday due to its proximity to the border with Lebanon. Farmers from nearby towns were told to stay away from their fields near the border, while armored personnel carriers and tanks were seen travelling towards Israel's north.
An official security source said that "the State of Israel does not refer to the incident in Syria and not to reports regarding the event, which do not come from official sources. The policy of the State of Israel was and remains to thwart every terror attack against it."
At the time, a Lebanese television station affiliated with Hezbollah, Al-Manar, reported increased activity by the Israeli Air Force in northern towns and southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, in the area of Al-Qasmiyah.
The IDF raised its alert level on the northern front last Monday, in positions along the border with Syrian and Lebanon, as foreign media outlets reported that Iron Dome batteries were being deployed in the north, less than a day after a strike attributed to Israel killed senior Hezbollah officers and Iranian soldiers.
Apart from the deployment of the missile interceptor batteries on the northern front – reported by Sky News in Arabic – there has not been a significant reinforcement of the forces on the border.
