Heightened alert on Israel’s northern borders

Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned Syria and Lebanon Saturday night that they would be held responsible for any attacks mounted against Israel from their territory. Israeli forces reinforced on the northern borders  on Wednesday were ordered to stay on a high state of preparedness, declared after Hizballah vowed to avenge the death of one of its fighters in last week’s Israel air strikes near Damascus. Its leaders said that that reprisal attack could come from Lebanon or Syria. During the day, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi inspected the northern deployment while surveillance drones flew over southern Lebanon.