Today’s official announcement by the IDF press office has clarified details of last week’s terrorist attack, which were still classified by the military censor.
The rumors about terrorists who apparently rented an apartment in Zfat were not confirmed. Neither were the totally insane speculations about a terrorist attack, which was probably planned by the Russian secret services against the US, proven to be true. Finally, the rumours that a large terrorist squad with a huge amount of weapons was found have also been denied.
This was a terrorist, apparently a Hizbullah terrorist from Lebanon, who managed to penetrate the border fence and its security system and get inside Israel. The terrorist was able to reach the Megiddo junction, 80 kilometers from the Lebanese border (a place notable, among other things, for one of the prisons where terrorists are held nearby). He placed a special explosive device he had brought with him there. It is a high-quality, high-powered factory explosive of the kind that the IDF has encountered many times in southern Lebanon when confronting Hizbullah.
By an incredible miracle, the terrorist detonated the charge (or the blast was not on purpose) next to a relatively small car driving in the oncoming lane, rather than on the side where the explosives were hidden. As a result, only one person was injured.
The terrorist, who was armed with a pistol and a knife and was also carrying a booby-trapped belt, managed to return to the Lebanese border area after the attack. There he was identified after an army search near the village of Yaara.
Members of JAMAM, the anti-terrorist special unit of the border police (MAGAV), considered that the terrorist was a threat to their lives and eliminated him. After the liquidation, it became clear that their assumptions were absolutely correct — he was wearing a suicide vest. Thus, if they had attempted to approach the car he was in and take him alive, he would probably have been blown up, trying to kill and injure as many of our fighters as possible.
In some photos, that were published last week — on the very day of the incident — you can see an Arab raising his hands in front of a soldier of the Israeli army. This is not of the terrorist himself, but of the Arab driver who gave him a lift. The man was arrested and interrogated. The investigation revealed that the terrorist was alone.
It is still not clear how the terrorist got to the Megiddo junction, why he targeted that place and why he went back to the border. It is possible that he was trying to return to Lebanon after detonating the charge.
Nor is it clear how he managed to cross the border. There have been cases in the past when Hizbullah fighters used a special ladder that enabled them to cross a special border fence. Perhaps that is what happened this time as well. Or there is a gap in the fence. According to the IDF’s official statement, they do not believe that the terrorist managed to get through the tunnel.
Note that there are details of the incident that remain classified. Perhaps the army knows the answers to at least part of the above questions.
In any case, it is clear to us that it happened with great miracles revealed to us by the Almighty.
Obviously, the terrorist could have used this charge against a bus full of passengers, or detonated it in a crowded place. He could have used the weapon he had on him to kill and injure many random people on the scene, as well as emergency and security officials arriving there.
Finally, after detonating the bomb at the Megiddo Junction, he could carry out another attack using the suicide belt he was wearing. In short, he could have carried out a bloody terrorist attack, but instead he only managed to wound one person, after that, he was eliminated.
“So may perish all Your enemies, O L-rd!”
The investigation of the incident is still ongoing. This is an extremely serious incident for Israel. This seems to be an offensive initiative by a terrorist group in Lebanon, which may have been intended to carry out a spectacular and serious terrorist attack, which, only by a miracle, did not take place.
Obviously, an intensive investigation is under way, primarily to determine the extent to which Hizbullah was involved in the attack, but also where and how the terrorist crossed the border into Israel, why the attack was aimed at Megiddo Junction, and whether Hizbullah is interested in the current escalation.
Unfortunately, there is no doubt that all the terrorist groups and their supervillains are now watching with great enthusiasm as the leftist opponents of democratic legal reform call for a rejection of military service and a civil war with the right-wingers by organizing their hooligan demonstrations. Obviously, all this disruption, which weakens Israel, encourages the terrorists to intensify their actions.
It is likely that they are convinced that Israel is seriously weakened at the moment, which means that now would be a good time to try to harm it.
Anyway, at the moment there is no high alert in the north and no additional restrictions on the movement of civilians there. Therefore, there are no concerns about visits or travel to the area bordering Lebanon.
In regard to Israel’s response to the attack near the Megiddo Junction — according to media reports, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Galant have decided that there will be no demonstrative response from the IDF.
Nevertheless, I am convinced that there will most likely be a response, but it will be covert and accompanied by a clear convincing message delivered through the appropriate channels.
For our part, we appeal to the people of Israel for unity, for there is no better way to intimidate Israel’s enemies and haters than the unity of the Jewish people.