Israeli authorities closed Route 98 in the Golan Heights on Tuesday evening after the third mortar shell of the day came whistling into the region from Syria.

The attack came less than 24 hours after two projectiles fired from Syria had also landed on Israel’s side of the border.

It is also the fifth time mortar fire has reached Israel from Syria since the start of a ceasefire negotiated by Russia and the United States; the truce was to begin simultaneously with the start of the festive Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice.

Israeli warplanes struck targets near Quneitra late Monday night in retaliation for Monday’s shelling.

The IDF Spokesperson confirmed that two surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) were fired by Syria at the fighter pilots during their mission, but said no harm was caused. All Israeli military personnel returned safely to base.

The IDF continues to maintain the mortar fire is spillover from the savage civil war raging in Syria between regime forces, which include Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah guerrilla fighters, and those of the opposition, including a range of Western-backed “moderates,” Kurdistani forces, and radical Islamist terrorist groups such as Jaish al Islam, Al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al Nusra, and Da’esh (ISIS.)

Nevertheless, Israel has said it holds the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad responsible for what takes place in its territory. The Israeli government has also said it won’t tolerate any attempt to harm Israel’s sovereignty or the security of her citizens.

A Syrian mortar shell exploded Monday evening in the northern section of Israel’s Golan Heights, for the second time in less the two weeks.

No physical injuries were reported in the incident.

Just a little over a week ago, a mortar shell fired from Syria landed in an open field, also in central Golan.

No physical injuries were reported in that incident either, and the shell was presumed to have been part of the “spillover” from the fighting between factions in southern Syria.

Nevertheless, Israeli military forces attacked Syrian artillery launchers a few hours later the same day (Sept. 4) in retaliation for the shelling.

The Syrian mortar fire had struck the central area of the northern Golan Heights near Al-Furan, although the source of the shelling was not clear.

However, Israel holds the Syrian government responsible for all actions that take place within its borders, according to the IDF.

Another official ceasefire worked out between Russia and the United States was to begin Monday night with the start of the Islamic Eid al-Adha Feast of the Sacrifice holiday.

Regime forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were pledged to abide by the ceasefire. But it’s not clear whether they had yet begun their part of the deal, or whether some of the other factions to whom Russia and the United States had reached out in the past week had simply chosen not to observe the truce — or were simply testing its limits.

IDF military forces opened fire at Syrian artillery launchers on Sunday in retaliation for a mortar attack on northern Israel earlier in the day.

The forces targeted the Syrian unit a few hours after northern Israel was shelled earlier in the day.

The central Golan Heights was struck by Syrian mortar fire near al-Furan, although it was not clear who was shelling the area.

No one was physically hurt and no property damage was reported in the attack, which a military source said was likely caused by spillover from the raging civil war.

Nevertheless, Israel holds the Syrian government responsible for all actions that take place within its borders, the IDF said in a statement.

Five unexploded mortar shells left over from a past war were found Monday on a beach along Lake Kinneret, also known as the Sea of Galilee, near Kibbutz Ma’agen.

Police officers and sappers from the Israel Police bomb squad were dispatched to the site.

Searching along the beaches of Lake Kinneret for unexploded ordnance.

Security personnel immediately closed off the area and began a search to determine whether any other unexploded ordnance remained in the area.

At least four other shells were found.

Israel Police and IDF military personnel worked together to defuse the unexploded shells.

One usually associates the acquisition of the long-range rockets with Iran, Hezbollah or terrorists in Gaza.

But it turns out the IDF has just acquired an exquisitely accurate long-range rocket produced by Israeli defense firm Israel Military Industries (IMI)– the new long-range Taas EXTRA (Extended Range Artillery Rocket) missile.

The Taas, capable of hitting a target within a 10-meter accuracy radius even as far as 150 kilometers away, is part of Israel’s new arsenal being developed in preparation for a possible future conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The missile is described by the firm as a “precise, cost-effective, tactical-range artillery rocket” that allows ground force commanders to “influence the battlefield” at a range of 20 to 150 kilometers.

Developed in the IMI factory in Givon, the new rocket is approximately four meters long, with a diameter of 30 centimeters, and capable of carrying a variety of warheads up to a weight of 120 kilograms.

It’s a highly accurate rocket with a proven effectiveness against a “wide range of high payoff targets across the tactical battlefield,” according to the company.

The Taas will enable Israel to attack and eliminate any number of targets in Lebanon, should that prove necessary. This will also reduce the cost and complications of aerial attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrilla group where they hide north of Israel’s borders.

Israeli residents in the Golan Heights reported hearing explosions late Saturday night.

According to the IDF, “nothing out of the ordinary” has taken place in the area and no attacks were reported. Military sources said it was possible residents heard gunfire from across the border.

Northern District Police likewise searched the area and said they found nothing to report.

Another United Nations investigation is about to probe Israel’s involvement in a death among Arab attackers … uh, that is … the panel will probe the death of a UNIFIL soldier in Lebanon while Hezbollah was attacking Israel.

This will be the second such “independent” panel investigating Israel’s role in defending itself from attacks initiated against its citizens.

Currently the UN Human Rights Council is continuing its efforts to “investigate” claims that Israel Defense Forces committed crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza during the counter terror war to silence the incessant rocket fire being fired against Israeli civilians in the south.

Professor William Schabas was replaced this week with Mary McGowan Davis, a member of the team that produced the notorious Goldstone Report, after resigning his role as leader of the anti-Israel probe of Israel’s counter terror war against Gaza’s ruling Hamas group and allied terrorists. Although Schabas was known to have an open bias against Israel, it was still a surprise to many when he revealed in his resignation letter that he had actually worked as a consultant for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the past.

The “independent panel” to be appointed by the UN is specifically tasked with investigating the death of a soldier from Spain, a member of the UNIFIL contingent operating in southern Lebanon since November 2014.

Spain last week said it was Israeli artillery that was responsible for the death of its soldier, which took place during an exchange of gunfire that followed an attack launched by Hezbollah on an unprotected convoy traveling near the northern border in Israel.

The terrorists fired six Kornet anti-tank missiles at two unarmored jeeps and two civilian vehicles on Israel’s side of the border. The two army jeeps were incinerated instantly. Two soldiers died and seven others were wounded. One of the missiles went astray and struck a civilian home in the border town of Ghajar, destroying it as well.

UNIFIL was tasked with monitoring the ceasefire that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah and seeing to it that the terrorists did not receive any more arms, among other assignments. It has failed miserably at its assignment, perhaps deliberately. After all, it is easier to deal with disappointed Israelis than to face a deadly threat from Iran and Hezbollah terrorists.

Hezbollah thus now boasts of an arsenal of more than 100,00 lethal rockets and missiles of varying ranges which it has received from Syria and Iran, an array of ordnance any modern army could admire.

As a result, Hezbollah has a free hand in Lebanon. Last week the terror group launched its multi-prong attack on innocent northern Israeli civilians and soldiers traveling in a convoy; such attacks in the past have led to bitter wars. This one was clearly aimed at an attempt to kidnap at least one of the travelers if possible. What should Israel have done, if not defend its people and fire back at the source of missile fire?

When a UNIFIL soldier was hit in the crossfire after Hezbollah launched the attack, how does Israel become responsible for that death?

More to the point, what was a UNIFIL soldier doing in such close proximity to a Hezbollah position?

Methinks the lady doth protest too much….