The Israeli army said on Sunday that it had killed four militants who were attempting to cross Israel's northern border from Lebanon.
The incident comes as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group active in Lebanon, continue to rise. IDF soldiers patrolling near the border encountered the militants and immediately began firing on Israelis.
“During the gunfight, the IDF fired artillery and mortar fire into the area,” the military said in a statement.
All four insurgents were killed in the exchange.
Hezbollah leader says Lebanon will be 'exposed' to Israeli attack if it does not respond to Hamas leader's death
The Israeli army said on Sunday that it had killed four militants who were attempting to cross Israel's northern border from Lebanon. (JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)
Hezbollah terrorists have been firing missiles and rockets into Israel for months, showing support for Hamas amid Israel's Gaza operation. These attacks typically did not involve personnel crossing the Israeli border.
EU foreign policy chief fears 'war' and escalation after death of Hamas leader: 'possibility cannot be ruled out'
The move comes as both Israel and Hezbollah threaten to start an all-out war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government will not hesitate to defend Israel, and Hezbollah officials have made similar declarations in the wake of Israeli attacks on the terrorist group.
People watch a televised speech by Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to commemorate the anniversary of the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in the southern suburbs of Beirut. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden senior adviser Amos Hochstein traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday to meet with officials to prevent tensions between Israel and Hezbollah from spilling over.
Hamas official dies in Beirut explosion, Hezbollah media reports
A senior Hezbollah commander said last week that the terrorist group does not want to escalate the war with Israel, but attacks on Israeli targets continue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday that his government would do “whatever it takes” to restore Israel's security. (Abil Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)
“Hezbollah made a grave mistake about us in 2006 and is doing the same thing now. We are looking to see if there is any,” Netanyahu said while visiting soldiers on the northern border. “We see tremendous strength here, national unity and a determination to do whatever it takes to bring security back to the North. I say this is my policy.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Obviously we hope that there will be no major conflict, but that won't stop us,” he added. “We have given Hezbollah an example of what happened to our friends in the south, and it will happen here in the north. We will do whatever it takes to restore security.”
Reuters contributed to this report
