Residents of northern Israel continue to live under a wartime routine, even though the escalation with Iran ended with a ceasefire and another delay in the campaign. Yehuda David-Pur, owner of the orchard where a Hezbollah terrorist who crossed the border from Lebanon into Israeli territory near Ramim Ridge was killed, told ynet he did not notice anything unusual. Residents remained shut inside their homes for hours, and the IDF confirmed that the terrorist was identified inside Israeli territory.
David-Pur said he left the orchard around 9:30 a.m. “It’s very lucky it ended this way,” he said of the unusual incident. “There are families here with small children and it is frightening. We demand to understand what is happening here.” He said his orchards are surrounded by a fence and that he is very concerned the terrorist managed to infiltrate Israeli territory.
IDF chief in northern Israel
(Video: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
“My fear as a resident is that there may be a tunnel in the area through which he may have entered. The orchards are about a kilometer from our homes, between Misgav Am and Margaliot.”
“This is not the first time a terrorist has infiltrated our territory, precisely in the area from which the terrorist apparently entered in today’s incident,” he recalled. David-Pur noted that on Oct. 20, 2023, a Hezbollah terrorist managed to reach the entrance gate of the moshav, where he opened fire at a reserve soldier who was seriously wounded and later died of his injuries. The terrorist was killed after a chase.
“We have still not received answers about how that terrorist infiltrated and managed to cross the border fence,” he said. “Now, at noon, we also received no warning in the moshav and no order to go inside and take shelter in protected spaces after the terrorist crossed the border, but only after he had already been killed. We live here in the moshav, and there are many children here. It is frightening. We demand to understand what is happening here.”
2 View gallery
Troops in northern Israel during 'Fire Series' exercises
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
Upper Galilee Regional Council head Asaf Langleben added: “A terrorist cuts through, crosses the fence and is killed by our forces’ fire. For three hours, residents of Misgav Am and Manara had to remain inside their homes. This is an IDF failure, and the truth must be said. The IDF must respond forcefully to every incident here in the north and must investigate this serious incident. I call on the Israeli government: Do not leave the north alone. We are at war. You need to be here with us, to provide real security for northern residents and all the assistance needed so the north can continue to hold on, and above all begin to see hope.”
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir arrived in the north for the “Fire Series” exercises, which train battalion and company commanders. The series included battalion-level drills aimed at preparing the commanders of the future for combat.
“The IDF has maintained and continues to maintain immediate readiness and preparedness for a return to fighting in Iran,” Zamir said. “All our defensive and offensive systems were alert and ready. We intercepted the threats fired at us and struck Iran quickly and powerfully. The strike we carried out in Iran was preparation for a much more significant and heavier blow. We are ready to return and deliver another severe and deep blow to Iran.”
“The Iranian attempt to set equations and change reality will fail,” he added. “We will continue to act and deepen the damage to the Hezbollah terrorist organization and defend the communities of the north. The IDF is alert and will act with force wherever we identify a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Zamir also addressed the situation in the north: “IDF forces continue to fight and strike in the area of the forward defense line in southern Lebanon,” he said. “The forces are currently operating in several areas and destroying terrorist infrastructure, including significant underground infrastructure in the Beaufort area that Hezbollah used as a fire base and command center for managing the fighting.”
At this stage, one of the suspicions being examined regarding the terrorist’s infiltration into Israel is that it was part of a lure attack. The incident began when forces from the 769th Brigade identified a fire and launched searches in the area of Manara and Metula, as well as inside Lebanese territory. At one point, the terrorist opened fire at the force, which returned fire. After the exchange of fire and searches, troops found the terrorist’s body in an enclave, in David-Pur’s orchard. After the body was found, forces in the area continued searches from the air and on the ground with trackers and special units.
The incident is highly unusual, since the area is supposed to have been fully cleared. The IDF is examining how an armed terrorist, apparently carrying a rifle, reached the area and managed to fire at Israeli troops nearby. The military is also checking whether there was another terrorist or an accomplice to the one who was killed. The incident is also unusual because the military has pushed Hezbollah terrorists deeper into Lebanese territory in order to prevent them from being able to infiltrate Israel.