BloodEclipse
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By Massoud A. Derhally and Calev Ben-David
Sept. 11 (Bloomberg) -- At least two rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel today, and Israeli forces returned fire across the border, an Israeli Army spokesman said, speaking anonymously according to regulation.
There were no reported casualties or damage on the Israeli side, according to the Israeli army and police.
Israel shelled a southern Lebanese village in retaliation for what may have been rocket attacks that were launched from the area, the Lebanese Army said.
“We still don’t know if rockets were launched from the area,” Lebanese Army Brigadier Saleh Haj Suleiman said in a phone interview. “What we can say at the moment is that two explosions were heard, and then Israel launched at least 13 shells at the southern Lebanese village of Al-Qlaileh.”
The Israeli military holds the Lebanese government and military accountable to prevent such attacks, the army spokesman said.
In January, rockets were fired twice into northern Israel from Lebanon, and Israel returned fire. The last rocket fired from Lebanon into Israel was on Feb. 21, according to the Israeli army. The Shiite Hezbollah movement, which fired 4,000 rockets into Israel during a five-week conflict in 2006, denied it was responsible for the rocket fire earlier this year.
‘Specific Actors’
Theodore Karasik, director of research at the Dubai-based Institute of Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said he didn’t believe that Hezbollah was behind today’s attack.
“These are provocative acts by specific actors, and we are seeing the ability of independent rogue elements in the southern part of the country that are capable of shooting rockets once and again,” said Karasik.
In 2007, the Lebanese Army fought for almost four months against Fatah al-Islam, an al-Qaeda-linked group, after its militants killed 27 of its soldiers. The fighting was some of the heaviest since the country’s 1975-1990 civil war.
The United Nations, which has a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon monitoring a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, is deploying more troops to the area, said Lieutenant Diego Fulco of the UN Interim Force, known as Unifil.
“Unifil calls for maximum restraint and to avoid taking steps that could lead to further escalation,” Fulco said in a statement.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Marie Okabe, a UN spokeswoman.
Since 1978
UN soldiers have been in southern Lebanon since 1978, when Unifil was created to verify an Israeli withdrawal. Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982 and withdrew in 2000. The force was enlarged after the 2006 conflict.
Israel’s war with Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, resulted in the deaths of 1,100 Lebanese and 163 Israelis. The fighting started with the abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah in a July 2006 cross-border ambush. It lasted until the UN brokered a cease-fire after 33 days of fighting.
Yoram Schweitzer, director of the program on terrorism at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, also said it was unlikely that Hezbollah was behind the attack.
“Hezbollah isn’t interested at the moment in igniting the border” because it’s deeply involved in the political developments unfolding in Lebanon, said Schweitzer.
“If it did want to carry out a provocation, Hezbollah has the means to do it a lot more accurately,” he added.
Saad Hariri quit yesterday as Lebanon’s prime minister- designate in a bid to force opposition parties to scale back demands in talks over the formation of a national unity government. Bickering over cabinet portfolios since the elections has impeded efforts to form a government
Hariri’s coalition won 71 of 128 seats in June 7 parliamentary elections, while Hezbollah and its Christian allies took 57.
Share | Email | Print | A A A
By Massoud A. Derhally and Calev Ben-David
Sept. 11 (Bloomberg) -- At least two rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel today, and Israeli forces returned fire across the border, an Israeli Army spokesman said, speaking anonymously according to regulation.
There were no reported casualties or damage on the Israeli side, according to the Israeli army and police.
Israel shelled a southern Lebanese village in retaliation for what may have been rocket attacks that were launched from the area, the Lebanese Army said.
“We still don’t know if rockets were launched from the area,” Lebanese Army Brigadier Saleh Haj Suleiman said in a phone interview. “What we can say at the moment is that two explosions were heard, and then Israel launched at least 13 shells at the southern Lebanese village of Al-Qlaileh.”
The Israeli military holds the Lebanese government and military accountable to prevent such attacks, the army spokesman said.
In January, rockets were fired twice into northern Israel from Lebanon, and Israel returned fire. The last rocket fired from Lebanon into Israel was on Feb. 21, according to the Israeli army. The Shiite Hezbollah movement, which fired 4,000 rockets into Israel during a five-week conflict in 2006, denied it was responsible for the rocket fire earlier this year.
‘Specific Actors’
Theodore Karasik, director of research at the Dubai-based Institute of Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said he didn’t believe that Hezbollah was behind today’s attack.
“These are provocative acts by specific actors, and we are seeing the ability of independent rogue elements in the southern part of the country that are capable of shooting rockets once and again,” said Karasik.
In 2007, the Lebanese Army fought for almost four months against Fatah al-Islam, an al-Qaeda-linked group, after its militants killed 27 of its soldiers. The fighting was some of the heaviest since the country’s 1975-1990 civil war.
The United Nations, which has a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon monitoring a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, is deploying more troops to the area, said Lieutenant Diego Fulco of the UN Interim Force, known as Unifil.
“Unifil calls for maximum restraint and to avoid taking steps that could lead to further escalation,” Fulco said in a statement.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Marie Okabe, a UN spokeswoman.
Since 1978
UN soldiers have been in southern Lebanon since 1978, when Unifil was created to verify an Israeli withdrawal. Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982 and withdrew in 2000. The force was enlarged after the 2006 conflict.
Israel’s war with Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, resulted in the deaths of 1,100 Lebanese and 163 Israelis. The fighting started with the abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah in a July 2006 cross-border ambush. It lasted until the UN brokered a cease-fire after 33 days of fighting.
Yoram Schweitzer, director of the program on terrorism at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, also said it was unlikely that Hezbollah was behind the attack.
“Hezbollah isn’t interested at the moment in igniting the border” because it’s deeply involved in the political developments unfolding in Lebanon, said Schweitzer.
“If it did want to carry out a provocation, Hezbollah has the means to do it a lot more accurately,” he added.
Saad Hariri quit yesterday as Lebanon’s prime minister- designate in a bid to force opposition parties to scale back demands in talks over the formation of a national unity government. Bickering over cabinet portfolios since the elections has impeded efforts to form a government
Hariri’s coalition won 71 of 128 seats in June 7 parliamentary elections, while Hezbollah and its Christian allies took 57.
