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Drone hits bulldozer
A Hezbollah drone struck an Israeli armored bulldozer stationed in the IDF’s south Lebanon buffer zone overnight, the IDF said Wednesday, calling it a violation of the ongoing truce.
“A Hezbollah drone strike hit an Israeli armored bulldozer stationed in the IDF’s south Lebanon buffer zone overnight”
The unmanned engineering vehicle was hit in the Ali Taher Ridge area by an explosive drone belonging to the terror group, and the explosion did not result in any injuries.
The Times of Israel said the incident marked the first Hezbollah attack since the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon took effect in late June, with Israeli and Lebanese negotiators slated to meet for follow-up talks next week in Rome.
The IDF said it estimates that dozens of operatives are holed up in a massive underground complex under the ridge near Nabatieh, but that the ceasefire agreement has prevented it from capturing underground passages beneath the ridge.
In the same period, the IDF announced it demolished an underground Hezbollah command center built beneath a construction material factory near a peacekeeper post, and said troops in Haddatha uncovered a 55 meters (180 feet) long tunnel with three rooms used as a command center.
Retaliation and negotiations
The Jerusalem Post reported that an Israeli source familiar with the matter said Israel will respond to the striking of the bulldozer by a Hezbollah drone, with talks underway over the nature of the response.
The IDF Northern Command confirmed the overnight strike and called it a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Ynetnews said the IDF was seeking to respond and was identifying Hezbollah tunnels on the Ali Taher ridge as a possible target while awaiting a decision from political leadership and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a separate report, Naharnet said Netanyahu ordered the air force to prepare to respond to “Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire,” adding that airstrikes on south Lebanon were expected later today.
The Times of Israel also said Israel told mediators it would not agree to additional withdrawals from territory in southern Lebanon in the Rome talks, and that until Hezbollah is disarmed Israel would halt further pullouts south of the so-called “yellow line”.
What’s at stake next
The incident unfolded as technical teams from each side were set to meet from August 4 to August 6 to advance implementation of the framework agreement meant to lead to an eventual peace deal between Israel and Lebanon, The Times of Israel said.
“Technical teams from each side will meet from August 4 to August 6”
The same report said the June deal called for the Lebanese military to deploy in areas in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah had previously held a military presence and influence, paving the way for Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone it holds in the south.
Shafaq News said Israeli media, citing a security source, indicated officials were weighing a response and identified the vehicle as a D9 armored bulldozer that caught fire after the strike.
Shafaq News also stated that Hezbollah had not commented on the allegation at the time of publication, while Israeli media described the drone as a suicide drone that directly hit the bulldozer.
Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern Lebanon and told officers that “if required, we will push deeper and reach additional areas,” as Israel deliberated a response to the violation.
