(JTA) — Hezbollah reportedly has declared a state of emergency, fearing an Israeli attack.
The report Thursday in A-Rai al-Yum, an Arabic-language daily based in London, said that the Shiite militia has been on alert since Tuesday, at least in southern Lebanon, in anticipation of an Israeli strike on its forces or facilities. Citing sources within Hezbollah, the newspaper said the alert was over “secret maneuvers” that Hezbollah believes that the Israel Defense Forces has been carrying out recently.
Last month, Israel struck in Syria over what Israel said was a violation of its airspace by an unnamed aircraft that was being controlled by an Iranian command post in Syria. One of the fighter planes that carried out the strike crashed near Israel’s northern border after its pilots safely ejected.
Iran is an ally of the regime of Syria’s embattled president, Bashar Assad.
Hezbollah, a terrorist group that is an ally both of Assad and of Iran, has fought alongside the Islamic Republic and Assad’s forces against rebels and jihadists who have taken over large parts of Syria after the eruption in 2011 of a bloody civil war there.
According to foreign publications, Israel took out a third of Syria’s anti-aircraft capabilities along with the command post that the Jewish state said controlled the penetrating drone.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
