The head of the IDF northern command - Major General Amir Baram said on Tuesday that the rocket fired from Lebanon earlier in the week, came from Palestinian terrorists.
"Palestinian terrorist from Lebanon tried to ignite another arena," Baram said in a speech at a ceremony in northern Israel.
3 View gallery
The IDF commanding officer of the northern command - Major General Amir Baram
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit)
"Only less than 48 hours ago we came across a Palestinian terror attempt to violate our daily routine, from Lebanon . in response to one rocket that landed in Israel but caused no damage, the IDF fired over 50 rounds of artillery shells into Lebanese territory," he said. "Certain parties wanted to ignite another arena and disrupt the civilians' routine. We won't allow this. The north is now back to its own routine and we'll keep it that way," he said.
"We are in complicated days, a convergence of the spring holidays and Easter together with the month of Ramadan, creates tension which is taken advantage of by Palestinian terrorists, who try to drag Lebanon into the violence. We hold the Lebanese government and Lebanese army as those responsible for this."
Baram reminded the neighbor to the north, of the consequences of attacking Israel. "In previous attempts, he said addressing the Iran backed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, " you made mistakes and acted from Lebanese territory against Israel, you paid a heavy price and essentially took Lebanon decades back in time," he said.
3 View gallery
IDF artillery forces attack rocket sources in south Lebanon
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit)
"In two days Hezbollah will mark the Iranian Quds Day - an event that is observed by Iran and its different proxies. Every year, Nasrallah commemorates the day with arrogance and animosity , but it is important to remember that even for this 'holiday' Hezbollah's leader will not dare leave his bunker where he has lived for years," Baram told the listening troups.
"Nasrallah threats from his hiding place in a bunker in the Dahieh [in southern Beirut], are the best proof of his understanding that he and his organization have no future," he said.
"This year Nasrallah will also threaten and and make accusations at us, the Israelis, but will not suggest a thing; certainly not progress or prosperity for his community or for Lebanon that is struggling to reach a positive social and economic position."
Meanwhile, Nasrallah in a speech on Tuesday said clashes at the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem show the Palestinian issue is back in full force, and "gaining supporters who are willing to sacrifice themselves for its cause."
" The enemy expected nations to forget the Palestinians as time went by, but what's happening is the opposite," he said.
Nasrallah spoke of the resistance, centering in Jerusalem, and said that "its returning today and with it the sword in Gaza that defends it like it did last year."
A rocket was fired from Lebanon into Israel in the beginning of the week, and landed in open space near the norther town Shlomi. Two hours later, the IDF retaliated by targeting the sources of the rocket launch in southern Lebanon with artillery forces.
The IDF Spokesperson Unit announced that no terror organization claimed responsibility for the attack, but after evaluation it seems that Palestinian parties in Lebanon were behind it, as a response to the clashes in the Temple Mount. Its also possible, according to sources within the security system, that satellites of Hamas in Lebanon were responsible for the rocket attack.