[preparing for aggression] Israel army reinforces northern front expecting conflict with Hezbollah

Middle East Monitor  /  December 29, 2021

The Israeli army has increased efforts to reinforce the defences of communities closest to the Lebanese border, which are most likely to be hit by rocket fire in a future conflict with the Lebanese Hezbollah, The Times of Israel newspaper reported.

The paper said Operation Northern Shield officially began last month, when the defence ministry’s Engineering and Construction Department and the army’s Home Front Command began installing new bomb shelters for homes in the town of Kfar Yuval, northeast of Kiryat Shmona.

The Israeli Defence Ministry said it is in the process of expanding the Northern Shield program to include three other towns along the border with Lebanon.

“In the coming days, the Engineering and Construction Department will begin installing dozens of shelters in private homes in the three additional towns” the ministry said in a statement, adding that it intends to consolidate the plan in 21 towns closest to the Lebanese border.

Meanwhile, Israel Defence Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement that the resilience of the people in the north is integral to the army’s preparedness for war scenarios.