More like this
Israeli-Lebanon border clash threatens region
Four years after last war, Israel is accused of trying to ‘destabilise security in the region’
Tuesday's deadly clash on the Israeli-Lebanese border is threatening to spill over into full-blown conflict, according to hawks on both sides. An isolated and unexpected incident, the gun battle between Israeli and Lebanese troops has ratcheted up tension between the two countries, and prompted an outpouring of sabre-rattling from other regional factions.
The catalyst for the cross-border confrontation appears to have been the presence of Israeli soldiers beyond the perimeter fence, on land Israel claims is still within its territorial control.
According to a spokesman for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the soldiers were carrying out routine maintenance work in full coordination with UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force stationed along the border. Lebanese troops fired at the Israelis, killing an IDF colonel and seriously wounding another officer; Israeli soldiers returned fire, leaving three Lebanese soldiers and a journalist dead.
Both sides were quick to lay the blame at the other's feet. Lebanon's prime minister immediately denounced Israel's "violation of Lebanese sovereignty", whilst an IDF statement declared the Lebanese Armed Forces to be solely culpable for the skirmish.
Syria's President Bashir Assad stated his determination to stand behind Lebanon in the face of what he termed Israeli attempts to "destabilise security in the region".
Speaking last night at a rally near Beirut, marking four years since the end of the last war between Israeli and Lebanese forces, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah used the occasion to threaten Israel with reprisals should the situation deteriorate further: "I say honestly, that in any place where the Lebanese army will be assaulted and there's a presence for the resistance, and it is capable, the resistance will not stand silent, or quiet or restrained."
Analysts have for weeks been predicting a renewal of hostilities on the Israeli-Lebanese border, especially in the wake of recent Israeli government reports of "massive rearmament of Hezbollah, including the rearmament of Hezbollah units in southern Lebanon". In July, IDF sources published aerial photos of Hezbollah militants storing weapons in hospitals and schools in the village of al-Hiyam, in what Israelis believe is a pre-cursor to military action against IDF troops.
Yetserday's firefight sowed panic amongst an already-tense Israeli public, coming hot on the heels of Monday's rocket attack on the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat. Despite relatively few violent incidents within Israel's borders over recent months, the fragile calm seems increasingly likely to be shattered the longer the Israeli-Palestinian peace process remains in a state of stagnation.
A lack of progress on the negotiation front plays into the hands of militant groups such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, who have assumed the mantle of liberators of the Palestinian people in the absence of a political solution to the conflict.
Whether the latest violence in Israel's north spirals into all-out war depends heavily on the reaction of both sides over the coming days. Political posturing and diplomatic grandstanding has a habit of generating violent clashes in a region perennially engaged in vicious baiting between inimical opponents, as Israeli and Lebanese civilians know from bitter experience. ·
Comments are now closed on this article
Comments
@phillip Seaman
Did you not know there is ALWAYS an anti Israel/Jew twist to Seth Freedmans articles. He probably works as a cover writer for Al Jazeerah. That would explain his "knowledge" of Israelis 'panicking' in fear of another war.
The best way to undermine Mr Freedman is to not read his rubbish. Im sure there are counts of the hits each news item gets.
Not so fast, Seth Freedman, to lay blame on the Israelis.The Lebanese army later issued a statement via France's AFP news agency confirming that it had fired first, but insisting that the Israeli troops were on Lebanese soil. UNIFIL officials said that is not true, and that the Israelis did not cross the border. It was an ambush by Lebanon, and presumably with Hezbollah. Israel said it would cut trees at 9 AM, and informed UNIFIL. Lebanon asked for a delay to 11 AM, and had reporters standing by. Please revise your story, Mr. Freedman.
Middle East events are becoming quite predictable. Hassan Nasrallah's Hizbollah threatens Israel then encourages and participates in the violence and confrontation. He threatens the Lebanese government with insurrection if they do not support him or threaten him in any way.
In response to Hizbollah's aggression and violence, Israel will bomb Beirut and turn Southern Lebanon into more cement dust. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese will pay the price for Nasrallah's bad behavior.
Nasrallah will then declare a 'great victory' and declare he is ready for more confrontation with Israel.
Of course, Israel will be only too happy to suffer another 'defeat' at the hands of Hizbollah.