As part of enforcing the cease-fire agreement, the Israeli Air Force ordered an Iranian Mahan Air plane – suspected of carrying weapons for Hezbollah and destined for Syria – to turn around as fighter jets circled nearby, and the plane complied, returning east
The IDF ordered an Iranian plane suspected of carrying weapons for Hezbollah and scheduled to land in Syria, to turn around and head eastward, according to a report on Sunday.
The Israeli Air Force led the operation against the Iranian plane, with the key difference being the location – Syria, not Lebanon. Israeli fighter jets circled near the Iranian aircraft, in a threatening posture indicating they would shoot it down.
A “letter of assurances,” part of the cease-fire agreement with Lebanon, stated that “the U.S. is committed to working with Israel to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in Lebanon, including preventing the transfer of weapons, proxies and other materials from Iranian territory.”
Meanwhile, the IDF continued operating in Lebanon, citing “actions that threatened Israel and violated the cease-fire agreement.” According to the IDF, paratroopers from the 98th Brigade identified armed terrorists near a church in southern Lebanon, which Hezbollah had used as a terrorist infrastructure. The soldiers fired and eliminated them.
The slain terrorists were involved in ground defense, anti-tank and artillery operations in the region and had participated in fighting while using the church. After eliminating the terrorists, the IDF searched the area around the church and found a weapons cache in a pit.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz who met on Sunday at the induction center with new recruits in the Armored Corps, addressed the recent developments in Syria and the northern cease-fire agreement.
“We are constantly monitoring developments in Syria,” Netanyahu said. “We are determined to protect Israel’s vital interests and preserve the achievements of the war. In this regard, we are strictly enforcing the ceasefire agreement, and any violation will be met with a decisive response from the IDF. That’s how it’s been, and that’s how it will continue. We will maintain Israel’s security.
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