ISRAELI prime minister Ehud Olmert yesterday called the capture of two Israeli soldiers on the Lebanese border by Hezbollah an ‘act of war’.
Olmert threatened to mount a military invasion of Lebanon in retaliation and Israeli planes began a series of bombing raids into the country.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese resistance movement said its fighters had taken the two captured soldiers to a ‘safe place’.
A Hezbollah statement said: ‘Fulfilling its pledge to liberate the prisoners and detainees, the Islamic Resistance has captured two Israeli soldiers at the border with occupied Palestine.’
Israel reacted by carrying out air strikes on Hezbollah outposts in south Lebanon, as well as on bridges, killing two civilians.
Hezbollah said its fighters destroyed an Israeli tank attempting to cross the border. An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed there had been a number of casualties.
Israeli Army reserve troops have been called up, as operations in Gaza, launched since the capture of an Israeli soldier in June, continued.
Describing the Hezbollah move as an ‘act of war’ by Lebanon, Israeli premier Olmert called an emergency cabinet meeting, and warned that Lebanon would pay a ‘heavy price’.
He alleged at a press conference in Jerusalem: ‘The Lebanese government, of which Hezbollah is a part, is trying to shake regional stability.
‘We are already responding with great strength.’
He threatened ‘very painful and far-reaching’ action against Lebanon.
Israeli ground troops have entered southern Lebanon to search for the two soldiers. This is the first cross border attack since Hezbollah ran the Israeli occupiers out of southern Lebanon six years ago.
Seven Israeli soldiers have been killed so far in the fighting.
Several thousand reservists will be deployed along the border, Israeli Army officials said.
• US Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday called for restraint and for the release of all prisoners.
He also condemned the Israeli attack on Lebanon and called for it to be halted.