Posted on 07/25/2006 12:56:41 AM PDT by Lorianne
JERUSALEM—Israeli troops punched deeper into southern Lebanon yesterday, closing in on the Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbail as a senior United Nations official accused the Shiite Muslim guerrilla group of "cowardly blending" among Lebanese civilians.
UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland, one day after touring bombed-out sections of Beirut and declaring Israeli air strikes "disproportionate," directed equally strong words against Hezbollah, questioning the morality of its fighting style.
"Consistently, from the Hezbollah heartland, my message was that Hezbollah must stop this cowardly blending ... among women and children," Egeland told reporters last night in Cyprus, where he was en route to Israel.
"I heard they were proud because they lost very few fighters and that it was the civilians bearing the brunt of this. I don't think anyone should be proud of having many more women and children dead than armed men."
Egeland's comments came after another intensive day of fighting in the rugged terrain of southernmost Lebanon. Both sides sustained considerable casualties. Among them:
Two Israeli soldiers were killed almost simultaneously in separate incidents, as a Merkava tank was struck by an armour-piercing missile and a second tank rolled over a massive landmine during fighting on the edge of Bint Jbail. Another 14 Israeli troops were injured in clashes, including five believed to be struck by friendly fire from an Israeli attack helicopter.
Two Israeli pilots died when their Apache Longbow helicopter, flying a sortie to support ground troops, crashed and exploded north of the Israeli town of Safed.
At least 10 Hezbollah guerrillas were killed, according to Israel Defence Forces (IDF) estimates. Israeli media reports said the IDF captured two Hezbollah fighters alive and retrieved several bodies of Hezbollah's dead, ostensibly to be used as bargaining chips in prisoner negotiations.
Thirteen Israeli civilians were wounded in salvos of Katyusha rocket fire from Lebanon. Yesterday's 80-plus strikes bring to more than 2,000 the number of short- and medium-range rockets fired by Hezbollah. The IDF estimates it has destroyed another 2,200 rockets in 13 days of fighting. If accurate, the total of 4,200 represents less than half of the estimated 10,000 to 12,000 missiles in Hezbollah's arsenal.
Four Ghanaian soldiers, all UN peacekeepers, were wounded when an IDF tank shell struck their position near the village of Rmeish. It was the third incident involving United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel who have been trapped between combatants since July 12.
Lebanese security officials reported three civilian deaths, without specifying where they occurred, and 30 strikes in and around towns and on roads — down from 37 the day before.
As the search for a diplomatic solution intensifies, the toll on displaced civilians is becoming acute, with hospitals in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre at capacity. It's estimated as many as 750,000 people, or 20 per cent of the population, are on the move.
Northern Israel, too, has emptied, with hundreds of thousands of people, including a third of the population of the port city of Haifa, taking refuge in central and southern areas beyond the proven range of Hezbollah rockets. Still, Israeli officials said half of the industrial factories in the north have now resumed operation, with staff returning to work despite a declaration of martial law.
Israel's overall death toll now stands at 40, with 17 people killed by Hezbollah rockets and 23 soldiers killed in the fighting. On the Lebanese side, officials said 384 people have been killed, including 20 soldiers and 11 Hezbollah guerrillas.
In the Gaza Strip early today, an Israeli air strike aimed at the home of a suspected militant wounded seven neighbours, residents said, a day after Israeli shells killed six people. An estimated 121 Palestinians have died in Israel's nearly month-long offensive in Gaza to force militants to release a kidnapped soldier and halt rocket fire.
With files from the Star's wire services
This is the jackass who called Americans stingy when in fact we contributed BILLIONS towards tsunami relief. Now he's equating Israel's use of allegedly "disproportionate" force with the Hezbolla trick of hiding amid women and children. Disgusting. I really don't know why we listen to anyone from the UN - well, except for John Bolton, of course.
Well, Egelund is maybe one step above an amoeba in brain power, but I can't help thinking the Hezzies must have really ticked him off for him to criticize an enemy of Israel.
It seems the Hezzies lack the certain diplomatic flair and it's getting increasingly difficult for the diplomats to pretend they're dealing with people who desire peace -- but I trust they'll be able to pull off the delusion with an extra dose of Prozac and extra high hip boots. It justifies their existence.
The UN and Egeland have a long and proven history working with Hizb'allah terrorists
murdering civilians - Christians, Jews, and Americans.
Note -- and remember -- this photo where both the UN and Hizb'allah terrorist flags fly together.
After the UN continues to be implicated in such savage behavior
millions of Americans wonder why America continues to fund and
help the UN-terrorists, the UN-slavers, and the UN-rapists.
bttt
Because, sadly and maddeningly, millions of other Americans continue returning these Clymers to Washington:
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Heard Liberal guests on Fox this past weekend say what we need to do is 'educate' them, of course'. Once they're 'educated' they'll understand that violence (Jihad), is not nice and won't achieve anything. Unbelievable.
Fox News last night had a picture of the Hezbollah HQ with U.N. in stones on the mountain behind it.
Make no mistake about who Israel is fighting.
Such willful ignorance still astounds me.
I neglected ( to my eternal regret ) saving a link and quote from a famous Islamic cleric a few years ago, but the context, and the gist of it were-
A reporter was asking him something along the lines of "why can't we all just get along," and his answer was succinct, and perfectly chilling:
"You do not understand us.
You wish to talk to us...
We wish to kill you..."
You can't "educate," "negotiate," "nuance," or "protocol" your way out of an attitude like that. You can fight, run, or submit. Or die. But talking isn't going to cut it.
Just a minor suggestion----Whenever Chuckie Schummer is pictured and not alone, it is realistice to show his Pix as in the foreground and partially covering everyone elses. That is because they would, in reality, be on the ground as he knocked them down to getbetween them and the camera.
Krauthammer's been saying it for a long time:
The Jihadists wrap themselves in babies.
LOL!
Wonder how many Hezbollah "warriors" were hiding in burkas and being airlifted out to safety by the US and Canada. There should be a rule for rescuing Muslims: Take off the burka or you stay. What a bunch of despicable cowards, hiding behind women and children and then bragging that your "fighters" aren't being killed.
We're supposed to believe this cock-n-bull?
I think the bottom line is that it is cowardly to criticize people who are taking the only possible action to relieve their population of such a burden as that.And doubly cowardly to be the cause of it, without necessity.
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