Israel’s top soldier cancels foreign trip over security tension

The office of Israel’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz announced Wednesday that he was calling off a planned trip to Brussels to attend a meeting of NATO chiefs of staff because of rising tensions on the borders with Lebanon and Syria. A special alert is now in force in the border villages of Manara, Yiftah, Ramot Naftali, Malkiah, Avivim and Dolev following a suspected terrorist infiltration from Lebanon.