Anti-aircraft fire targets drone over Lebanon - report

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel surrounding ongoing talks about the maritime border between the two countries.

 The Hezbollah drone shot down by the IDF on Monday, July 18, 2022 (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
The Hezbollah drone shot down by the IDF on Monday, July 18, 2022
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Anti-aircraft fire targeted a drone over the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon on Thursday night, according to Lebanese reports.

Initial reports indicated that Hezbollah was responsible for the fire and that an Israeli drone was targeted. The reports did not indicate that the drone was hit.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel surrounding ongoing talks about the maritime border between the two countries.

On Thursday, the Lebanese El-Nashra newspaper reported that Israel has rejected the Lebanese proposal in the talks.

The Lebanese Al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Thursday based on a "well-informed ministerial source" that there was information about the possibility of Israel conducting a "limited military operation" against Lebanon before reaching an agreement in order to avoid being seen as compromising. The source warned that the response to such an operation would be "harsh" and that it "will surprise Israel with the number of the missiles that will rain down on large parts of its territory, and therefore will not let it achieve its goal."

 Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters via a screen during a rally commemorating late Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine who was killed in an attack in Syria, in Beirut suburbs, Lebanon May 20, 2022 (credit: REUTERS/AZIZ TAHER/FILE PHOTO)
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters via a screen during a rally commemorating late Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine who was killed in an attack in Syria, in Beirut suburbs, Lebanon May 20, 2022 (credit: REUTERS/AZIZ TAHER/FILE PHOTO)

Nasrallah: Hezbollah waits for Israel's response

In a speech on Tuesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah stressed that the movement was waiting in the coming days for Israel's response to Lebanon's demands regarding the border demarcation. "Lebanon and its people will no longer accept the looting of its wealth."

Last week, Nasrallah stated that "there is a 50% chance that this issue will be resolved through negotiations and a 50% chance that the situation will lead to war."

In July, Hezbollah launched four drones toward the Karish gas rig off the coast of northern Israel. The drones were shot down by the IDF.