An Israeli soldier was killed Sunday evening by gunfire from a sniper, at the Israel-Lebanon border, near Rosh Hanikra.
Seven shots were fired Sunday night at a vehicle traveling along the Israel-Lebanon border, near Rosh Hanikra. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the sniper is a member of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
The IDF did not respond to the incident immediately. A senior Israeli officer said that "the IDF is prepared in the north and considering our response."
“The IDF has protested this outrageous breach of Israel’s sovereignty with UNIFIL (the United Nations Force in Lebanon) and has heightened its state of preparedness along the border. We will not tolerate aggression against the State of Israel, and maintain the right to exercise self defense against perpetrators of attacks against Israel and its civilians,” said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, IDF spokesman.
‘An investigation of the incident is underway,’’ he added.
This is the first incident of its kind in three years.
A spokesperson for UNIFIL said that representatives of the international force were in dialogue with both sides in an attempt to prevent escalation and preserve the calm. He said the incident occurred on the Israeli side of the border and that the rest of the incidents were under investigation.