A video has surfaced apparently showing the Israeli military using a medieval siege weapon to sling fireballs over the border wall into neighboring Lebanon.
A report on maariv said reservists constructed the primitive catapult, called a trebuchet, at an outpost on the northern border. It noted that the video of it in use was taken more than a month ago.
"We have more advanced ways to carry out the mission," an Israel Defense Forces official told the news site.
The Jerusalem Post reported that other Israeli outlets said the weapon was a "local initiative."
Footage circulating on social media shows Israeli soldiers using a trebuchet to launch incendiaries at Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/PYMyCZcOWM
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 13, 2024
"The area on the Lebanese border is characterized by boulders, thickets, and dense thorn vegetation, which poses a challenge to the IDF troops deployed in defense," a military official said.
Maariv reported Hezbollah fighters are using the thick vegetation to fire on Israeli forces, make observations and to hide weapons.
