Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday toured Israel's border with Lebanon in the wake of a failed, alleged Hezbollah attack and said he wouldn't "advise anyone to test us."
On Monday the IDF troops thwarted an infiltration attempt by the Iran-backed group when a cell of between three and five advanced several meters into Israeli territory before fleeing back. The troops opened fire, including artillery, at the cell in the Har Dov region, also known as Shebaa Farms. The attack appeared to have been in response to the killing of a Hezbollah fighter in an Israeli raid in Syria last week.
"I do not suggest anyone try testing the IDF or the State of Israel, we are determined to defend ourselves" he said during a situational assessment at the Northern Command's headquarters.
"We are determined to defend ourselves ... Yesterday's operation was important and prevented an infiltration into our territory ... Everything that is happening right now is the result of an Iranian attempt to establish itself in our region."
He added that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is serving the Iranian interests at the expense of the Lebanese people, who have been staging protests over the past few months over the dire financial situation in the country.
Har Dov where the incident took place
The meeting was also attended by the IDF's Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, head of the IDF's Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Amir Baram and other senior security officials.
The Lebanese Shi'ite group denied its forces had tried to infiltrate the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, saying the incident was "one-sided" and that Israeli forces had "moved nervously on the ground" due to a heightened state of alert. They added the response to the killing of its fighter "Ali Kamel (Mohsen) will surely come."
Netanyahu appeared to have responded to the threats, saying the IDF is prepared "for any scenario".
"We continue to thwart the Iranian military establishment in our region. We will do whatever it takes to defend ourselves, and I suggest Hezbollah take this into account."
Earlier, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Israel had violated his country's sovereignty with a "dangerous military escalation" and called for caution after a rise in border tensions.