Iron Dome battery in Ashkelon. Photo: Israel Defense Forces.

JNS.org – Following reports of an Israeli airstrike in Syria on Sunday that killed six members of the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah, Israel deployed Iron Dome missile defense batteries in the north of the country as part of preparations for a possible counter-strike.

On Tuesday morning, an Israel Defense Forces rapid response team was called up in the northern town of Metula after civilian vehicles bearing Hezbollah flags were spotted close to the Israeli border in the Lebanese town of Khiam. A number of shots were fired from the vehicles, but a rapid investigation revealed that the gunfire was part of a funeral procession for one of the Hezbollah members killed in Sunday’s strike.

On Monday, Israeli defense officials convened an emergency meeting to assess the situation. While majority opinion in security circles is that Hezbollah will not initiate a large-scale confrontation with Israel, security officials are concerned about the possibility of a series of escalations that could lead to such a scenario.