NORTHBROOK, Ill. (WLS) — An IDF solider from the northern suburbs is stationed with Israeli tanks and troops on the Lebanon border, where they are trying to prevent a two-front war as Israel’s conflict with Hamas continues.
From the Lebanon hills, Hezbollah terrorists regularly launch attacks across the border and Israel returns fire. The concern Friday is that Hezbollah from the north will take advantage of a Hamas war distracting Israel in the south.
“I’m on Israel’s northern border,” Northbrook native Fletcher Valentine said.
Valentine’s camp is surrounded by crickets and terrorists.
Back in Northbrook, Valentine’s father David has had daily calls with his son about a war-in-progress.
“They got there and dug in foxholes,” David said. “And we’re in the field, but near very near them right behind them as a kibbutz that’s been evacuated. Some of the public security people came back and opened it up so that they could have in there, when they’re not on duty in their foxhole, they get a chance to sleep. They could sleep in the safe rooms, they could get a shower they had a chance to get some better food, which you know, they really appreciate.”
Fletcher’s current mission is to defend Israel’s border from potential Hezbollah attacks.
“He’s in a defensive position right now,” David said. “So he’s the first machine gunner in the strictly defensive position, that he’s they’re not going out anywhere.”
The IDF is defending against attacks such as this week’s firebombing of a journalist’s vehicle near the Lebanon border and defending against a full frontal assault by Hezbollah commandoes, many of whom attended the funeral of a dead terror operative this week.
Fletcher Valentine described how Hezbollah terrorists are tracking Israeli forces.
“We’ve been enduring various kinds of bombardment mostly mortars and rockets,” Fletcher said. “They’ve been using drones to try and find our fighting positions. And there have been some attempted incursions which have been successfully repelled.”
