An Israeli military drone falls on Lebanese territory
The Israeli army announced on Sunday the fall of one of its drones on Lebanese territory, after reinforcing its presence on the northern border near Lebanon.
The drone fell during a military operation on the border, the army said in a statement. There is no risk of information leaking, the army added.
Israel often deploys drones over Lebanon to monitor the movements of the pro-Iranian armed group Hezbollah, one of its sworn enemies and heavyweight in Lebanese politics.
During a visit on Sunday to a military base near the border, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated that Lebanon and Syria are responsible for what happens in and from their territory.
We are not seeking to aggravate the situation but whoever wants to test us will face a strong reaction, Gantz said, according to a statement from his office.
Israel is technically at war with its neighbors Syria and Lebanon, and has carried out hundreds of attacks on Syrian soil to prevent Iran, which supports Hezbollah and the Damascus regime, from establishing a presence in the country.
This week, Israel reinforced its troops on its northern border near Lebanon.
On Tuesday, the army announced this reinforcement, the day after the death, according to a Syrian NGO, of five pro-Iranian fighters in Israeli attacks in Syria. Hezbollah later announced the death of one of its fighters in these attacks.
According to the Israeli media, the military reinforcement would try to prepare for a possible response from Hezbollah.
On Friday, the army again reinforced its presence on the northern border, specifying that it had raised its level of preparedness against potential various enemy actions.