Israel Army: Bomber Suspected of Coming From Lebanon Killed

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Facts

• The Israeli army announced that an armed man suspected of entering the country via Lebanon blew up a car before being killed by Israeli forces not long after, raising the risk of renewed tensions with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite armed group and political party.¹
• The alleged attacker placed a roadside bomb that seriously injured a driver near Megiddo Junction in northern Israel on Monday. The military said that he was stopped at a checkpoint soon after before being shot and killed, and was allegedly wearing an explosive vest and was armed.²
• Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Thursday that those involved in the attack would be found and held accountable, saying, 'we will find the right timing and appropriate manner to hit back.'³
• Though the incident occurred on Monday, it wasn't officially announced until Wednesday, as the Israeli security establishment held several meetings over two days under a gag order. In response to the attack, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu cut a visit to Germany short.⁴
• The Israeli military believed the attacker came from Lebanon because they considered the bomb's design to be unusual and said it didn't appear to be similar to explosive devices used by Palestinian groups in recent months.⁵
• Israel and Hezbollah have a long history of animosity. Following Israel's 1982 invasion of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah, backed by Iran, launched an armed campaign against Israeli forces. Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 but fought another war with Hezbollah in 2006. More recently, Israel has struck targets associated with Iran and Hezbollah in Syria since the onset of its civil war in 2011.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Naharnet, ³Reuters (a), ⁴Al Jazeera, ⁵The times of israel and ⁶Reuters (b).

Narratives

• Pro-Israel, as provided by Jerusalem post. Israel is facing an Iranian-backed axis of terror. Though the explosive used raises many questions, and Hezbollah might not have directly launched the attack, that doesn't mean Iran wasn't involved. Hamas and PIJ are both backed by Iran, and both groups have increased their activity in the northern West Bank, close to northern Israel. However, this could still be a terrorist attack unrelated to Iran, as a thorough investigation needs to be carried out.
• Pro-Palestine, as provided by Al mayadeen english. It's unclear if Hezbollah was involved or not, but either way, attacks like this are a symptom of Israel's occupation of Palestine, as well as areas in Lebanon and Syria. Violence is a terrible thing, but the violence of occupation is an everyday occurrence that is far greater than any attack like this.