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Suspected suicide bomber shot dead in Israel, Hezbollah suspected

The man, suspected of infiltrating Israel from Lebanon, was shot by Israeli forces in northern Israel while wearing an explosive belt, according to a statement from the Israeli army.

Suspected suicide bomber shot dead in Israel, Hezbollah suspected

Israeli soldiers patrol along the border with Lebanon near the northern Arab-Israeli village of Arab al-Aramshe on March 15, 2023 while the southern Lebanese village of Dhaira appears in the background. (Credit: JALAA MAREY / AFP)

BEIRUT —  The Israeli army announced Wednesday that it killed a suspect wearing an explosive belt in northern Israel on Monday, citing the possible involvement of Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The man, suspected of infiltrating Israel from Lebanon, was shot by Israeli forces in northern Israel while wearing an explosive belt, according to a statement from the Israeli army.

"We are examining the possibility that the terrorist organization Hezbollah is involved," the statement added.

The announcement comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to leave for Germany for an official visit, which he cut short by one day. His office said in a statement that it was "closely following ... security developments."

The suspect was intercepted on Monday at a roadblock set up by police in northern Israel after a device exploded in the area, at the crossroads of Megiddo, about 35 kilometers southeast of Haifa. The Israeli army said they believe the suspect was responsible for the explosion, which seriously injured an Israeli civilian.

According to the Israeli army, the suspect was wearing an explosive belt when he was intercepted, indicating an intent to perpetrate a second attack.

"He could have used the explosive belt in the first attack but decided not to," the Israeli army said in a press briefing. "We assume he was going to commit another terrorist attack but we don't know how ... Maybe he wanted to carry out another terrorist attack and then commit suicide."

'Many questions remain'

The identity of the suspect was not immediately specified.

"The assumption is that due to his neutralization, an additional terrorist attack was prevented," said a joint statement from the Israeli army, police and internal security services.

According to the Israeli army, the suspect had asked a driver to take him in his car to the north of the territory, before being stopped at the roadblock.

The driver, whose identity has not been released, is being questioned, the military said, adding that "many questions remain unanswered."

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"I congratulate the security forces for neutralizing the terrorist involved in the Megiddo junction bombing," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on Twitter.

The situation is being assessed by the government, which will decide on the response, the Israeli army said.

Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour on Wednesday evening, Andrea Tenenti, the spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said he was "only aware of the facts conveyed by the media. "We have no additional information at this time," he added, saying he was following the incident.

Hezbollah, for its part, said it had no further information on the case at present.

In 2006, the last major confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah resulted in more than 1,200 deaths on the Lebanese side, mostly civilians, and 160 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.

The last anti-Israeli suicide bombing injured 21 people in Jerusalem on April 19, 2016.

BEIRUT —  The Israeli army announced Wednesday that it killed a suspect wearing an explosive belt in northern Israel on Monday, citing the possible involvement of Lebanon's Hezbollah.The man, suspected of infiltrating Israel from Lebanon, was shot by Israeli forces in northern Israel while wearing an explosive belt, according to a statement from the Israeli army."We are examining the...