Israel at War Watch: Lebanon Warns Israel After Israeli Raid Against Hezbollah
AP: Lebanon gives warning after Israeli raid
Israeli commandos raided a Hezbollah stronghold deep inside Lebanon Saturday, sparking a fierce clash with militants that killed one Israeli. Lebanon called the raid a “flagrant violation” of the U.N.-brokered cease-fire, while Israel said it was aimed at disrupting arms shipments from
Iran and Syria.Witnesses said Israeli missiles also destroyed a bridge during the raid in what would be the first such airstrike since the cease-fire took effect Monday, ending 34 days of warfare between the two sides.
The fighting did not appear to be escalating, but it highlighted the fragility of the truce as the
United Nations pleaded for nations to contribute to an international peacekeeping force due to patrol southern Lebanon.
Under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 Israel is within its rights to defend itself and to prevent the resupply of arms and military materials for Hezbollah. The text of the resolution is here.
Lebanon has NOT diarmed Hezbollah and has made NO attempt to interdict the resupply of arms to Hezbollah.
And where is the United Nations and UNIFIL?
French soldiers from an engineering unit arrive to join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on the border with Israel at the Lebanese port of Naqura, near the southern city of Tyre (Soure), August 19, 2006.
Well, UNIFIL is not policing Hezbollah and NOT enforcing UNSCR 1701.
Is this a surprise?
NOPE
Why the Israeli government of Prime Minister Olmert EVER thought 1701 would work is anyone’s guess.
Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr threatened to halt the army’s deployment in south Lebanon if the United Nations does not take up the issue of the raid. A stop to the deployment would deeply damage efforts to move in the U.N. force to strengthen the cease-fire.
“If there are no clear answers forthcoming on this issue, I might be forced to recommend to the Cabinet early next week the halt of the army deployment in the south,” Murr told reporters after a meeting with U.N. representatives.
Israel’s response:
In Jerusalem, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev defended the raid as a response to “a violation of the cease-fire.”
“The U.N. Security Council resolution on Lebanon is very explicit: It says that Hezbollah cannot use the cease-fire to rearm, to receive more missiles and more rockets from Syria and Iran. That was happening, and Israel acted to prevent that from happening,” he said.
Regev indicated Israel could conduct further raids until Lebanese and international troops take up positions to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its arsenal — a goal that the U.N. resolution sets as part of a long-term end to the conflict but does not immediately require.
“If the Syrians and Iran continue to arm Hezbollah in violation of the resolution, Israel is entitled to act to defend the principle of the arms embargo,” Regev said. “Once the Lebanese army and the international forces are active … then such Israeli activity will become superfluous.”
UNSCR 1701 is a disaster and it will take months to deploy enough UNIFIL troops to stop the rearming of Hezbollah. And Hezbollah has been allowed by the Lebanese government to keep its existing weapons – in direct violation of 1701.
So, what does Hezbollah plan prior to the full deployment of UNIFIL?
REARM from Iran and Syria.
Israeli soldiers load a tank on a transport truck as they leave northern Israel, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006. Hezbollah fighters battled Israeli commandos who launched a raid near the militants’ stronghold deep inside Lebanon early Saturday, killing one soldier, in what Lebanon called the first large-scale violation of the U.N.-brokered cease-fire between the sides.
This cease-fire has been a disaster for Israel since its inception. There will be NO compliance by Lebanon, Hezbollah, Syria or Iran.
Get ready for round two of this war…….
Stay tuned……
Captain Ed has Israel Attacks Resupply Convoy
If the Lebanese want to restart the war, they will find the Israelis more than willing to do so. Israel may count on precisely that reaction, as well as the inability of Siniora to enforce his end of the cease-fire agreement. If this cease-fire fails, the Israelis will have no further constraints by the UN and can take all the time necessary to complete their overall mission, and Siniora will have no way to stop it. All the crying in the world will not cover the fact that he had an opportunity to rid himself of Hezbollah and chose to endorse it instead.
And further illustrate the weakness and futility of the United Nations to enforce any of its resolutions. The discussion in the UNSC will be heated as the war starts anew.
Previous:
Israel at War Watch: Lebanese Army Reaches Southern Border with Israel
Israel at War Watch: Lebanese Army Moves Below Latani River
Israel At War Watch: Israel Defense Forces To Withdraw Despite Plans To Leave Hezbollah Armed
Michael Ramirez on Israel-Hezbollah War
Israel at War Watch: Israel to STOP Pullout If Lebanese Army Fails to Deploy Timely
Israel At War Watch: Israel Threatens To Resume War If Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm
Israel At War Watch: Hassan Nasrallah – The Disarmament of Hezbollah Should NOT Be Discussed Now
Israel at War Watch: The Arab Street Rejoices – Mocks Israel And United States
Israel at War Watch: Conversation With Benjamin Netanyahu – Hezbollah Will NOT Disarm
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Cleric Ahmad Khatami Warns Israel of Missile Attack
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