Is the IDF deploying dolls along the Lebanese border?

With tensions at an all-time high along the Israel-Lebanon border, Hezbollah militants have been cracking jokes at the Israeli military, which has seemingly placed mannequins in military vehicles.

Pictures began circulating on Hezbollah-affiliated Twitter accounts early Thursday morning of seemingly abandoned vehicles, but taking a closer look at them in the morning, a figure is clearly seen.

But it’s not an IDF soldier, but rather a mannequin in military uniform.

Ali Shoeib, a correspondent for Hezbollah’s al-Manar satellite TV tweeted that the deployment of dolls “is a joke” and bragged about the group’s capabilities, saying that “the enemy has yet to learn that he is facing a smart, professional, courageous and faithful group that can defeat them.”

Hezbollah’s Al-Ahed news site tweeted that, “fearing Hezbollah’s awaited response, Israeli occupation army places statues inside military vehicles on the border with Lebanon.”

Fearing Hezbollah’s awaited response, ‘Israeli’ occupation army places statues inside military vehicles on the border with Lebanon @ali_shoeib1 #انضبوا #خلي_عينك_عالحدود https://t.co/rJbxZuF7EG pic.twitter.com/QLr6ZpLaQy

— Al-Ahed (@AlahednewsEn) August 29, 2019

Ali Mortada, a reporter with pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV posted several pictures, including a selfie along the border.

“No Israelis on the borders. Where’s the army that can’t be defeated? They’re placing toys instead of real soldiers. Start distributing diapers because your day is nearing,” he tweeted, adding “By the way, Adraee, where are you tweeting from? From which shelter?”

Mortada was referring to the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Maj. Avichai Adraee. In another tweet, Mortada mocked Adraee and the military saying “come out of your hole, where are you? I just crossed into Palestine. I will carry out an operation for Hezbollah.”

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit told The Jerusalem Post that they don’t comment on foreign reports.

The army’s Northern Command has been on high alert since Saturday night after the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes against a cell belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force in Syria, which was on its way to launch armed drones to attack targets in northern Israel.

Several hours later, two explosive-laden drones were seen in the skies of the Lebanese capital Beirut. One crashed after being pelted with stones while the other exploded, causing significant damage to Hezbollah’s precision missile project.

Israel is expecting a limited strike against military targets in northern Israel.  Two sources close to Hezbollah were quoted by Reuters as saying that the Lebanese terror group is preparing a “calculated strike” against Israel.

A reaction “is being arranged in a way which wouldn’t lead to a war that neither Hezbollah nor Israel wants,” one of the sources said. “The direction now is for a calculated strike – but how matters develop, that’s another thing.”

The IDF began limiting traffic on roads along the Lebanese border Tuesday morning over fears of retaliation by Hezbollah, as tensions remain high following Israeli attacks.

“In light of an operational status assessment, it was decided that the movement of certain military vehicles on several roads would be possible only on the basis of individual approval and in accordance with the situational assessment of the situation,” the IDF said in a statement given to The Jerusalem Post.

The order was given by the military to all units in the area on Tuesday morning, restricting travel up to five kilometers from the border, and ordering all troops to carry weapons and wear protective equipment should their request to drive on the border roads be approved.