Bullets originating from Lebanon hit the windshield of a civilian vehicle and a nearby orchard in Moshav Avivim in the Upper Galilee today (Sunday).
There were no injuries in the incident.
The IDF arrived at the scene and investigated the source of the shooting. An initial IDF investigation indicates that the bullets were fired into the air during a funeral in the village of Marun a-Ras, and were not intentionally aimed at Israeli territory.
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Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to respond to the shell fire that hit a car windshield - and to deliver an unequivocal warning to the Lebanese government regarding the future: "We will not allow firing from Lebanese territory towards northern communities - we will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.".
Following the bullet that hit a car windshield in Moshav Avivim and at the direction of the Minister of Defense, the IDF attacked targets in the village of Einta in Lebanon.
Minister Katz: "The claim that this was a stray bullet from a Hezbollah operative's funeral held in a nearby village is completely unacceptable. We will not allow the reality of shooting at residents of the north for any reason and will respond to any violation of the ceasefire. Any threat and harm to the security of residents of the north will be met with a harsh response.".
Following the incident, the Marom HaGalil Regional Council announced that the IDF had declared a "Night Knight" situation and instructed residents to stay in their homes until further notice.
A situation assessment was also held with security officials regarding the opening of educational frameworks tomorrow throughout the council. After that, routine was declared in Avivim and the special instructions for residents were lifted.
The head of the Marom HaGalil Regional Council, Amit Sofer, commented on the event: "The shooting incidents in Avivim, which this time miraculously ended without casualties, are a red flag that must not be ignored. The risk of someone being hurt has been proven to be real. I cannot understand how the residents of Avivim can be told to return when there is no buffer zone protecting them? Right now, with the terrorists returning to the Lebanese villages, it is truly the Wild West.""
Doron Kadosh, the military correspondent for Galatza, made a few comments about the shooting at Avivim that hit an empty car, before the Defense Minister's response:
1. The IDF says the shooting was carried out during a funeral for Hezbollah operatives in the village near Avivim, Marun a-Ras.
2. The bottom line - any presence of armed men in southern Lebanon who are not from the Lebanese Army or UNIFIL is prohibited, and therefore it does not matter at all whether the shooting was aimed at Israeli territory or was in the air - the mere presence of armed men at such a funeral, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, is a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
3. The shooting took place not far from one of the five new outposts that the IDF built inside Lebanese territory - the 'Magen Avivim' outpost.
4. An event that is a test of Israeli enforcement policy, and of various statements that have been made recently regarding violations.
Now these statements will be put to the test, whether the events are once again examined based solely on the results ("It was not aimed at our territory," "No one was hurt") or in some other way. This test is especially significant in the days when residents of the northern border are expected to return to their homes.
