The Israel Defense Forces exposed and neutralized a fifth cross-border attack tunnel Wednesday morning, built by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group.
The tunnel, which reaches from within the southern Lebanese Shiite village of Aita a-Sha’ab into Israeli territory, was blown up by the IDF to eliminate the threat from Hezbollah’s plan to invade northern Israel.
Prior to the detonation of the explosives used to neutralize the tunnel, the IDF notified the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) about the latest violation of Israel’s sovereignty and UN Resolution 1701. The heads of local authorities in southern Lebanon, and residents of the village from which the tunnel originated were also warned by the IDF prior to the explosion.
WATCH: IDF officer calls out in Arabic to the residents of the Lebanese Shiite village of Ayta ash-Shab, warning them to clear the area prior to the demolition of an attack tunnel dug by Hezbollah from underneath their village into Israeli territory. pic.twitter.com/s08zkXnXQc
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF)
“The route of the tunnel was briefly neutralized by an explosion,” the IDF Spokesperson said in a statement. “A notice was sent to the heads of the relevant authorities and to UNIFIL.
“The IDF views the Lebanese government as responsible for the digging of the tunnels and for the consequences of this action. This is a serious violation of Resolution 1701 and the sovereignty of the State of Israel. The IDF will continue its task of exposing and neutralizing the tunnels in accordance with the plan,” the statement added.
Operation Northern Shield is continuing apace along the Lebanese border, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told newly-graduated Israel Air Force pilots in his address to them in Hatzerim Air Force Base.
One by one, every tunnel is being eliminated, Netanyahu said. “They think they can produce weapons of destruction against us and we can overcome them with stratagems, daring and determination.”