Hizbullah raises the bar: Shlomi, Ein Kinia hit

Jerusalem Post ^ | 4/9/02 | Margot Dudkevitch

[truthandlife]

Hizbullah pounded Israeli outposts in the Mount Dov and Mount Hermon areas, and fired anti-aircraft rockets, Katyushas, and mortar shells at a number of targets in northern Israel yesterday. Anti-aircraft fire was directed at the town of Shlomi and a Katyusha landed in the Druse village of Ein Kuniya in the north Golan Heights, causing damage but no injuries. A Katyusha landed in the Galilee Panhandle last night.

The air force carried out three raids in retaliation, firing a number of missiles at Hizbullah targets, and IDF artillery shelled the Lebanese village Kfar Chuba near the Shaba Farms.

An IDF official said that one of the common characteristics of the recent Hizbullah attacks is their attempts to mislead the Lebanese government and people by attempting to hide the seriousness of their attacks against Israel.

Citing an example, the official said Hizbullah announced that the four soldiers killed in a car accident in Caesarea at the beginning of the week were killed at Shaba Farms during hostilities in the area. "The Lebanese government is seriously concerned," he said. "The reason they [Hizbullah] will not escalate their attacks is because they are not receiving any support from the Lebanese government."

Residents of Kiryat Shmona and Shlomi spent Monday night in shelters following shelling by Hizbullah, after Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned that the situation would escalate if Israel attempted to transfer Palestinians from the West Bank.

"[Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon has in mind to displace the Palestinians. And we, therefore, have to keep a weapon and an option to confront such a threat," Nasrallah said. He added that in such a case attacks on Israel would be carried out from "all the way from the [Mediterranean] sea to Mount Hermon."

And if Israel attacks Lebanon, Hizbullah will respond by firing Katyusha rockets that can reach Haifa, Hizbullah spiritual leader Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah said Monday.

Fadlallah's remarks came in the wake of Hizbullah's salvos fired on IDF positions in the Mount Dov and Hermon regions on `sunday. All told, last night's attacks mark the tenth straight day that the Iranian-backed Shi'ite movement has kept up the fire on the northern border.

Nasrallah described the recent escalation as "serious," but said that Hizbullah and the Palestinian organizations would not make use of all the means at their disposal, unless Sharon left them no choice.

In New York, meanwhile, Syria's UN Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe said Lebanon has no plan to open a new front. Lebanon has confirmed "at the highest level" that it has no intention of opening a new front in the conflict, he told the UN Security Council.

He said Lebanon blames Israeli "provocation" for the escalating violence, citing more than 1,000 violations of Lebanese airspace by IDF aircraft, as well as violations of its territory and seas.

At the heart of the dispute is the UN boundary, known as the Blue Line, which was drawn after Israel pulled out of south Lebanon in May 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

Lebanon, backed by Syria, considers the Shaba Farms area still occupied by Israel as its territory, and Hizbullah has vowed to liberate it. The United Nations says the territory belongs to Syria and should remain under Israeli control until discussions between Syria and Israel.

For more than two weeks, Hizbullah has repeatedly attacked civilian and military targets in Israel and reinforced its fighters near the border, prompting Israel to retaliate.

[xm177e2]

Of course, this is why Israel needs the Golan; without it Hizbullah could strike far into Israel with their rockets.

[PokeyJoe]

So, we need to see the Lebanese choose.

Either you are with the war against Terrorism, or you against it - and if you against it, you are against us - and will suffer the same fate as those aiding these attacks.

[a_witness]

It seems Israel has unfinished business in Lebanon. The Islamic terrorists must be utterly destroyed along with all the regimes that support them. You are either with us or with the terrorists.

[samtheman]

Don't the Israelis have daisy-cutters?

[montag813]

Doesn't Israel have fuel-air bombs? Those would seem particularly suited to this task.

[Iowa David]

where is the Shaba farms?

[American in Israel]

Lebanon was invaded by Syria, and now has a Syrian Puppet government. The Islamics are driving the Christians out of this once Christian majority Nation. They don't care if Lebanon gets hit, it will just make it easier for the takeover. It is Syria, who controls the supply routes for the Hizbulla that needs to be hit. All of these rockets had to be driven through the Beka valley Syrian military base from Iran. Terrorists are favored by the Islamic Dictatorships because we will attack the terrorists and not them. They can kill to their hearts content and say "who me?"