4 Israeli soldiers wounded in friendly fire incident near Lebanese border

By Anadolu staff

JERUSALEM (AA) – Four Israeli soldiers were wounded early Monday in a friendly fire incident near the border with Lebanon amid rising tensions in the region.

In a statement, the army said that soldiers stationed in Shtula opened fire on a vehicle that arrived at high speed and attempted to bypass their checkpoint.

It later turned out to be a military vehicle, and four soldiers inside were hurt, according to the statement.

The incident came after Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah exchanged artillery and rocket fire.

Israel said it shelled the Kafar Shuba hills and town of al-Mari in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah said Sunday that it had launched guided rockets and artillery onto three posts in the Shebaa Farms.

The escalation came a day after the Palestinian group Hamas launched its biggest attack on Israel in decades, firing thousands of rockets and sending fighters who infiltrated Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip.

The group said its attack was in response to Israeli violations in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence.

At least 700 Israelis have been killed and over 2,300 others wounded in the attack, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.

Israel retaliated with a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 413 Palestinians and wounding at least 2,300 others.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to use all of Israel’s strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities and “take revenge for this black day.”

On Sunday, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) urged Israel and Hezbollah to exercise restraint to prevent a further escalation of tensions on the Lebanese-Israeli border.