Israel in recent years has built a fence along the Egyptian border to block the flow of work migrants, bringing down the number of infiltrators annually from thousands to a mere few.
By TPS
IDF troops identified and apprehended on Sunday night three suspects who crossed the Blue Line from Lebanon into Israel.
The suspects were questioned at the scene.
The incident was not terrorism-related and may have involved illegal work migrants.
Israel in recent years has become a sought-after destination by economic migrants from Africa, coming primarily through Egypt. Israel in recent years has built a fence along the Egyptian border to block the flow of work migrants, bringing down the number of infiltrators annually from thousands to a mere few.
It appears that the African migrants are seeking new ways to illegally enter the country, even by crossing the dangerous border with Lebanon.
The incident on Sunday night occurred about a month after the IDF launched its “Lightning Storm” exercise on the Lebanese border to test the troops’ readiness to face an attack from the north.
The IDF stated that the exercise is intended to “improve the readiness of the IDF forces of the Northern Command at the border.”
The IDF has been on high alert on Israel’s border with Lebanon following a July 2020 Israeli Air Force strike in Syria against Iranian targets in which a Hezbollah operative was killed.
Hezbollah has threatened to respond to any death of its men killed by Israel, whether in Lebanon or Syria.
In July, a four-man Hezbollah cell attempted to infiltrate Israel at the Har Dov area, presumably to attack an IDF outpost. The IDF spotted the cell and fired at it, causing it to flee back into Lebanon.
Another shooting incident occurred in the eastern sector several weeks later.
No IDF troops were injured in the two incidents.
“The IDF will continue to prepare and constantly improve its readiness on the Lebanese border while fulfilling the mission of protecting the residents of the north,” the IDF stated as the drill commenced.
