Shin Bet thwarts alleged Hezbollah assassination attempt against former Israeli official
The announcement comes as Israel has been threatening to launch a military operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
Israel’s Shin Bet security service said in a statement on 17 September that it thwarted a Hezbollah plan to assassinate a former official with an explosive device.
“A terrorist operation which was planned by Hezbollah to target a former official in the security establishment with an explosive device, and was set to be carried out in the coming days, was thwarted,” the Shin Bet statement read.
“The Shin Bet uncovered a [Claymore] explosive device, which is known to be used by Hezbollah, which was intended to target the individual. The explosive device was connected to a remote activation device that contained a camera and a mobile phone, with the aim of activating it by Hezbollah from Lebanon,” the statement added.
“The operational readiness and activities of the forces prevented the implementation of this terrorist operation, which was in its final stages of implementation.”
The statement went on to say that the former official was notified and that “no further information can be disclosed.”
The Shin Bet also claimed in the statement that Hezbollah was behind a blast that took place in a park in Tel Aviv in September 2023 and that the bomb allegedly discovered recently was the same type that exploded at the time.
Months earlier, in March, the Shin Bet and Israeli army announced that they suspectedHezbollah’s involvement in a blast that took place near the Megiddo junction in northern Israel.
Tuesday’s Shin Bet statement comes as there has been an escalation of crossfire between Hezbollah and Israel on the southern Lebanese border, coinciding with a surge in official Israeli threats against Lebanon.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early on 17 September that the goals of the current war have been updated to include the return of settlers from Israel’s northern settlements who were evacuated as a result of Hezbollah’s attacks.
Netanyahu said earlier this month that he has instructed the army to “change the situation” in the north.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a phone call on 16 September that a diplomatic solution to the situation on Israel’s northern border is increasingly unlikely. “Hezbollah continues to tie itself to Hamas – the direction is clear.”
Hezbollah has warned that any ground operation in southern Lebanon will displace “hundreds of thousands” more Israeli settlers.
No comments:
Post a Comment