IDF, Shin Bet Suspects Hezbollah Was Behind Recent Bombing In Northern Israel
On March 15, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security service said that Lebanon’s Hezbollah may have been behind a recent bombing on a strategic northern Israel highway.
The bombing took place on the Route 65 highway at the Megiddo Junction on March 13. 21-year-old Shareef ad-Din, an Israeli citizen from the Arab village of Salem, was seriously wounded in the attack.
In a joint statement, the IDF and the Shin Bet said that the suspect was spotted in a vehicle near the northern town of Ya’ara, close to the separation line with Lebanon. Officers of the elite police Yamam counterterrorism unit and Shin Bet officers opened fire at the suspect, killing him.
According to the IDF and the Sin Bet, the suspect was a “clear danger” to the security forces and had a primed explosives belt on him at the time. Several more weapons were found in the vehicle.
“The assessment is that neutralizing the terrorist prevented another attack,” the joint statement said.
The suspect crossed into Israel from Lebanon overnight between March 11 and 12 and planted the bomb, possibly on behalf of Hezbollah. The IDF is now investigating how exactly the suspect was able to cross into Israel.
Following the bombing at the Megiddo Junction, the suspect hitched a ride to northern Israel. The driver of the car was detained by officers at the scene, before being released after questioning. He was not believed to have been involved in the attack.
The IDF said that the details of the attack remained unpublished for more than two days because it wanted to wait to find out exactly who was responsible.
Following the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had held a number of meetings with top defense and security officials. Later on March 15, the minister briefed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the investigation. As a result, Netanyahu decided to shorten a pre-scheduled visit to Germany.
The accusations made by the IDF and the Shin Bet could have very serious consequences. If Tel Aviv went on to officially accuse Hezbollah of plotting the bombing, the situation could quickly escalate into a military confrontation. The Lebanese group is yet to address the Israeli accusations.
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