Israel starts Operation Northern Shield near the Lebanese border

Tel Aviv: The Israeli military has begun Operation Northern Shield near the Lebanese border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that this campaign is initiated to destroy the tunnels built by the Hezbollah terrorists to intrude into Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister accused Hezbollah of conspiring to acquire the Galilee region through this tunnel route. Meanwhile, in response to the Israeli action, Lebanon has increased its military deployment near the border.

The Hezbollah terrorists have dug dozens of tunnels in the southern border region of Lebanon. The Israeli military has referred these tunnels connecting Lebanon to Israel as Terror Tunnels. The Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus criticised, ‘These Terror Tunnels built by Hezbollah violate the sovereignty of Israel.’ Lieutenant Colonel Conricus informed that for this reason, the Israeli military had undertaken a campaign to destroy these Terror Tunnels permanently. The military spokesman clarified that the entire action would be done by remaining within the Israeli border limits.

Following this, the Israeli military has initiated the action to destroy Hezbollah’s Terror Tunnels since the last 24 hours. The Israeli army has published a video of the Hezbollah terrorists getting trapped while destroying one of the tunnels. This strengthens the Israeli military’s claim that the Hezbollah terrorists were indeed using these tunnels to intrude into Israel. The Hezbollah terrorists had abducted the Israeli soldiers in 2006, using similar tunnels.

The activities of the Hezbollah terrorists around these Terror Tunnels had increased since the last few days. The Israeli military informed that this had led them to initiate the campaign ‘Operation Northern Shield’. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had met the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his Brussels visit. Prime Minister Netanyahu clarified that he had given information about the Operation Northern Shield to the US Secretary of State during this meeting.

The Israeli Prime Minister explained the gravity of the problem saying, ‘The Hezbollah terrorists wanted to acquire control over Upper Galilee, a holy place for the Jews and Christians alike, intruding through these Terror Tunnels. US National Security Advisor, John Bolton has welcomed the Israeli campaign against the Terror Tunnels and announced complete support for Israel’s action.’

Given the Israeli action, Lebanon has increased its military deployment in the southern border region. It is claimed that the patrolling by the UNIFIL peacekeeping force of the United Nations has also been intensified in the border area. The pro-Hezbollah media in Lebanon has criticised the Israeli military actions. This media has claimed that the Israeli military has initiated attacks in the southern border region of Lebanon.