Lebanon’s president, prime minister and Parliamentary Speaker slammed Israel’s ‘aggression’ against the country on Tuesday, as Lebanese and Israeli occupation troops exchanged fire along the Lebanese-Palestinian border.
President Michel Suleiman vowed to ‘stand up to Israel’s violation of Resolution 1701, whatever the price’.
Suleiman’s office said: ‘The president denounces the new Israeli violation of Resolution 1701, which includes . . . the bombing of a Lebanese army checkpoint and attacks on Lebanese property.’
Prime Minister Saad Hariri condemned the ‘violation of Lebanese sovereignty and demands . . . the United Nations and the international community bear their responsibilities and pressure Israel to stop its aggression.’
Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Birri issued a statement calling on the government to ‘urgently file a complaint to the Security Council over the violation of Resolution 1701’.
Three Lebanese soldiers and a journalist were killed near the Lebanese village of Odeisseh, after clashes erupted around noon (0900 GMT).
An Israeli occupation lieutenant-colonel was killed and another Israeli occupation soldier was in a critical condition after being injured.
The fighting broke out after Israeli troops tried to uproot a tree ‘blocking their view’ in the Lebanese area, Lebanese army and security officials said.
The killed journalist was identified as Assaf Bou Rahhal working for Al-Akhbar daily.
Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shoaib was also lightly injured in the clashes.
‘The Israelis fired four shells (from a tank) that fell near a Lebanese army position on the outskirts of the village of Odeisseh and the Lebanese army fired back,’ a Lebanese security official in the area said, adding that two houses were damaged by the rockets.
A Lebanese army spokesman said: ‘The Israelis began to fire and we responded.’
The Israeli army could be heard calling in Arabic for an immediate ceasefire over loudspeakers.
Hours after the deadly exchange of fire, Israel warned Lebanon it would face ‘consequences’ if there were further disturbances along the northern border.
‘Israel sees the government of Lebanon as responsible for this grave incident and warns of consequences in the event that disturbances of this kind continue,’ a statement from the office of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.
The Israeli foreign ministry said Lieberman had instructed Israel’s delegation to the United Nations to lodge formal complaints with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council.
The Lebanese military responded: ‘We hold Israel’s arrogance responsible’ for the clashes.
The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) called on both sides to exercise ‘maximum restraint’.
An Israeli army statement claimed IDF forces were carrying out work inside Israeli territory between the security fence and the international border when they were fired upon.
Reports in Adaysseh said soldiers from the Indonesian contingent from the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon tried, but to no avail, to calm the situation before the clashes erupted.
Ambulances rushed to the village as residents panicked with many fleeing.
‘Our immediate priority at this time is to restore calm in the area,’ said Neeraj Singh, spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
‘Acting force commander Brigadier General Santi Bonfanti is in contact with the command of both the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israeli Defence Forces urging maximum restraint.’
Abu Ali, a resident of Adaysseh, said Israeli helicopters could be seen overflying the village one hour after the incident.
Tension in the region has been mounting in recent months following the setting up of an international tribunal to investigate the assassination of Lebanon’s ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
The tribunal has already decided not to probe whether there was an Israeli involvement and is expected to blame Hezbollah and Syria, bringing the relationships between the different Lebanese religious groups to boiling point.
Last Saturday Israeli Media produced more and more details on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s verdict.
It revealed the goal that lies behind the verdict which Israel has sought: To put ‘Israel’s most ferocious enemy’ in a deep quagmire.
Quoting sources in the United Nations, Israeli Media reported that following the verdict’s issuance, the UN expects a quake that would shake the country.
Israeli Media in general and Channel One in particular continued their spread for the details of the STL’s verdict saying it is quoting sources inside the International Tribunal.
It said that the indictment would be issued on two stages.
First stage: To Accuse two officials from Hezbollah.
Second step: To include three to five names of Hezbollah senior officials and their names would be publicised.
The STL’s verdict would not differentiate between ‘the suspects’ and Hezbollah leadership.
Israeli Media also quoted the UN as saying for the first time that the verdict would shake Lebanon’s stability and put it on the abyss’s brink.
Israeli television quoted former head of Operations Directorate in the Israeli army, Major General Yisrael Ziv, as saying that Hezbollah is an organisation that enjoys an iron control and talking about undisciplined members of this party killed former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri would fool no one.
‘Hezbollah’s policy now is to walk on the brink of the abyss.
‘Thus, Israel must not make mistakes in order not to fall in the organisation’s hand,’ Ziv added.
Israeli analysts voiced the Israeli atmosphere which is eagerly waiting for the indictment’s issuance, clarifying Israel’s goal.
‘Hezbollah is the most ferocious and dangerous enemy for Israel.
‘Thus dragging it into a real interior quagmire and harsh legal problem inside Lebanon is a very positive issue for Israel,’ Israeli Channel quoted political analyst, Ari Shavit, as saying.
Military analyst, Amir Bar-Shalom was quoted as saying that Hezbollah is totally a different party now from the military side.
‘That is why it (Hezbollah) allows itself to take essential options since it has a deterrence power against Israel.’
