3 Lebanese soldiers, journalist killed in clash on Israel-Lebanon border
Quiet on northern front shatters as IDF and the Lebanese army exchange fire and Katyusha rocket reportedly strikes Upper Galilee.
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Service and News AgenciesIsrael Defense Forces exchanged fire with the Lebanese army on Tuesday, killing three Lebanese soldiers and a Lebanese journalist, in what appeared to be the most serious military confrontation since Israel's month-long war with Hezbollah in 2006.
The Lebanese army confirmed that two of its troops had been killed when Israeli forces fired on a vehicle in which they were traveling, setting it on fire and wounding another.
 |
A UNIFIL peacekeeper waves a UN flag as Israeli troops patrol the border fence in the southern Lebanese village of Adaisseh, Lebanon on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
In Lebanon, security sources said that Israeli shells fired at the southern Lebanese border village of Aadassi hit a house, wounding two - a soldier and a civilian.
Lebanese troops responded with artillery fire, Lebanese press reports said, while eyewitnesses said fire had broken out in two buildings in the village.
"It started when the Israelis wanted to cut a tree down inside Lebanon," one security source in Lebanon said. "The Lebanese army fired warning shots at them and they responded by shelling."
The Lebanese al-Nahar newspaper reported that a journalist from the al-Akhbar newspaper was killed during the clash.
 |
A frame from television footage showing smoke from weapons fire on Israel's northern border, August 3, 2010. |
| Photo by: Channel 2 |
Since the end of the Second Lebanon War, the IDF has conducted patrols up to the international border, which in some places is on the Lebanese side of the border fence. It is possible that Tuesday's incident was caused by one of the sides misidentifying the correct location of the border. In Lebanon, there was a report that Lebanese soldiers had demanded that Israeli troops leave the area before the exchange of fire took place.
Responding to the incident, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman authorized Israel's UN ambassador Gabriella Shalev to lodge an official complaint against Lebanon with the UN Security Council.
 |
IDF troops deployed near Israel's northern border after clashes with Lebanese troops, August 3, 2010. |
| Photo by: Zahal Kaminiski |
In a statement, the Israeli government blamed Lebanon for provoking the clash, saying it took a particularly grave view of the action as IDF soldiers had been working in complete coordination with UN peacekeepers.
"Israel sees this incident as a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, one of a long line of violations, first of which is the massive arming of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon," the statement read. "Israel views the government of Lebanon as responsible for this grave event and warns of possible consequences if these violations continue."
Also on Tuesday there were reports that a Katyusha rocket fired from Lebanon struck the northern Galilee - but police dispatched to the area could find no trace of an impact.
Residents living close to border reported hearing several loud explosions.
Aharon Valensi, head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council, told television news that residents of the area had been told to take cover in bomb shelters.
"We're ready," he said. "The IDF prepared us for situations like this and we just hope that it is only a localized incident."
Israeli military engineering units maintain a security fence along the border with southern Lebanon. The region has traditionally been a stronghold for Hezbollah but regular Lebanese troops returned to the area in 2006 following Israel's summer war with the Shi'a militant group.
A 12,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, is also deployed in the area.
Following news of the incident, UNIFIL issued a statement calling on both armies to show "maximum restraint" and prevent an escalation of hostilities.
Tuesday's clash follows rocket attacks on Monday on the southern city of Eilat and neighboring Aqaba in Jordan, in which a Jordanian citizen was killed and five others were injured.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
israel needs to chill out or they r gnna get it even worse than what happened in 2006
This coward Nasrallah,never leaves his bunker under the Iranian embassy.Too scared to come out in the daytime,there is a bullet with his name on it.No one would want to insure him.Big mouth with empty words that keep pouring out.An Iranian puppet on a dog leash.
heheh , Isreal the coward is still waiting for the nod from the red house to slay more .Stop provoking other peaceful nation , Iran nuclear , lebanon ballastics what of syria ?
Had Lebanon come across and cut down Israeli trees, we would have responded the same way.
perhaps one day we'll have the technology to take the land of Israel, pick it up and move it to say some place in say Canada. Then Israel could live in peace and not deal with all the Hamas/Hizbollah/Iran/Syrian shit.
hizbullah and syria are true bed mates, trying to change the subject about who killed R. Harri and hizbullah and syria did, these are lebanese facts. Poor saad you better watch it you might be next, your postion is disposable as well as you are just ask hassan and bashar, but they dont have guts to tell you the truth they are BOTH COWARDS.
It seems that firing tank shells at houses in response to warning shots from Lebanon is disproportionate... no matter what way you look at it.
Seriously we fight over a rock to much someone REALLY thinks a tree is worth killing over? I'll give you a tree from my yard if it means peace. Seriously where are our priorities?
Pictue gallery...Then you can if you wish begin your verbal attacks on Israel.
I cannot live with the prosect of peace. So Barak, go out there and "Cause an incident". Remenber the "Syrian (Gol;an) heights incident in 67---go repeat that. Just keep going in until someone shoots then run back and deny ant such action. If peace breaks out we are all out of a job. Aint looking good for Israel--is it.
As far as I know there is no demarcated Israeli-Lebanese border. UN has at some points marked the areas with blue painting, but this does not mean as I have understood it that it is a boundary both parties agrees upon.
..... this is planned so as to invite anyone with an appetite for mischief to shoot the enemy and pretend he himself was within his own side of the border (which is not a physical line).... and then argue where everybody was ... a recipe for war ! After that, call Goldstone....
I guess those IDF men must have been settlers as they are used to cut down trees on other people's soil and start to cause problems.
from advancing in life. Lebanon is at fault for its stupidity for not alerting or asking the UN to take care of the issue if its was such an "issue" about a tree. What's a tree that costs the lifes of so many killed? Maybe if your father or brother was killed you would have taken the matter more at heart and not be so arrogant! My prayers go to the fallen and their families.
The Israeli-Lebanese border is not demarcated. That means nobody really knows where it exactly goes. Therefore it might be (at least) one Israeli opinion, one UN opinion and one Lebanese opinion. Better to send a letter to Beirut next time...
Why don't you lift your behind off the cozy sofa and have a look at the northern border. Maybe then you will understand that trimming a tree in order to maintain visibility of the Hezbollah build-up (under UN eyes) has nothing to do with settlers going wild. Plain scandinavian ignorance, your comments here.
So sayeth YHVH
Arab lies destroy their advancement in life.
Last time i check Lebanese were no arabs. It is like saying that Australians / Americans are British. Your comment is off topic.
"It started when the Israelis wanted to cut a tree down inside Lebanon," one security source in Lebanon said. "The Lebanese army fired warning shots at them and they responded by shelling."
Do you ever read anything but the headlines?
i really hope this doesnt escalate into something worse, we all know how temperamental both sides can get! in my opinion, the borders should be better marked in order to prevent either side from using the "they crossed into our border" excuse.. Syria's president announces he'll support any retaliation against Israel... great, thats what we need, Hezbollah's main backer wanting to 'help' us. the same man who would take any opportunity to turn Lebanon into another battlefield for their fight with Israel.... to that i say, go to hell! while i'm on the topic of Hezbollah, let me clear something up; we have no power/authority over Hezbollah. They are pretty much a state within a state. They are simply to powerful to ignore, which is why they have a position in the Parliament. Either give them some 'legal' authority, or end up a Muslim nation controlled by Hezbollah (obviously after a very bloody war where the Christians will lose). Please, save the "stand up against them" comments, because they are useless... Hezbollah is such a powerful force that it can easily destroy all of Lebanon and bring it under its rule. Everyone knows that Syria and Iran back Hezbollah, so why not punish them? why is that the Lebanese citizens, who have no control over what Hezbollah does, have to suffer? Hezbollah has clearly shown that they only care for Iranian/Syrian interests, and yet we have to suffer for that? someone please explain the logic!
Ok call americans and isreal to attack Iran or syrians again . Books will be written in history that its true years teach more than books
This is not the first time Israel violates UN resolution 1701. Daily overflights by Israeli warplanes over Lebanese airspace. -Confrontation w/UNIFIL b/c of these overflights - Espionage- Largest Israeli spyring FOUND in Lebanon - Israel infiltrated Lebanon's telecommunication network -not respecting its sovereignty. -Violating Lebanese territorial water... I mean the list goes on, if it were the Lebanese doing this Israel would launch a full scale war. When will Israel learn to abide by international law? Lebanon has a right to defend itself. Every time Israel violates 1701 UN resolution it has terminated the ceasefire!
News here says Lebanese soldiers fired warning shots while in the presence of UN peacekeepers to IDf soldiers who were trying o remove a tree in Lebanese land. IDF responded by shelling the entire area.. The Lebanese put up the soldiers there to keep Hezbollah away from you.. unfor Hezbollah are not the only extremist in this area, so are the IDF.. every time the IDF comes in and destroys and kills indiscriminately as if to punish the entire population just like the last war.. funny enough most of us are against hizbullah but can’t support its dismantling when Israel shoots and kills everything that stands in her way..you think we are all raving lunatics, Beirut is a city full of life, culture, kindness, parties and believe me tolerance.. every time you destroy a Palestine and Lebanese house, kill a civilian, u strengthen Hezbollah and turn more moderates into enemies.. now it seems Lebanon is due for another thrashing.. well we can take it.. we’re not going anyway..
Israel was working with the UN Peacekeepers and were fired on. You might want to try a more accurate news source next time.
How can Israel been working with UN soldier during the incident since there is NO UN on Israel ground!!!!!!!!!!! All UN are stationed on the Lebanese side, you have all technology available and still you are brainwached worst than in medieval age.
Don't trust your news, because nobody in Lebanon wants you to know what is really going on, but here you are reading Haaretz, so there is hope... Anyhow, I appreciate your comment and sympathize with your entrapment. But tell me, how shall the IDF handle the massive build-up of Hezbollah military infrastructure at the border, which will be used to hit Israeli civilians eventually, when it suits Iran and Syria? Hezbollah is preparing to hit crowded population centers with massive amounts of new, more powerful and precise rockets. And why exactly? What kind of threat is Israel to Lebanon. None, as long as Israel is not threatened from Lebanese territory, in the past by the PLO and now by Hezbollah. Israel has no interest in a conflict with Lebanon, but the duty of the IDF is to protect the Israeli population from Hezbollah/Hamas/PLO/whatever terror. Read www.madinisrael.blogspot.com and discuss. Good luck and peace to all of us!
This has got to be the dumbest reason ever for an incident like this to happen.
The terrorists are being sternly warned of consequences of their reckless behavior . No more getting a free ride .
What acts of terror did the Lebanese soldiers commit? Or maybe it is the newsman murdered by the IDF that you claim is the terrorist? You sound like the Israeli government. Anything they do not like is terrorism. You just follow and promote the Israeli hasbara by blindly claiming they are terrorists without any justification, evidence or rationale for your claims.
it was provocative action done by the Israeli troops. why did they cross-border into Lebanon? why did they want to uproot a tree on the Lebanese side ? why did they kill a journalist ? Now , Israel is to blame for the shelling and the killings.... wait up for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrullah , he will appear on TVs tonight. I think he will declare his war on Israel.
1. What a journalist of Hizbullah was doing there in the exact time to the skirmish? 2. The incident happened in the same week Hizbullastan is being pressured by Hariri trial. 3. Saad was quickly in showing solidarity in the same week Syria can be investigated by U.N. 4. Then they say Israel is wrong...
becasue lebanon is the size of Canada it will take 6 days for him to reach the border!!?!?!? are you high man, the reporter who died is the correpondent of a leb newspaper in the south so it takes him 20 mins max to reach the border...u are truly a wizard of analysis.. i suggest u mind ur own business,
Following your line of thinking it was not a strange coincidence that he was there at the same time the IDF was there to cut the tree. maybe IDF LAF and HA planned it all just for fun.
Bush is long gone (no weapons and rockets to be flown in through great britain), so this time we are anxiously waiting for the IDF, we shall prevail again.
If Israel wants to cut a tree inside Lebanon, just wait for no one to be near it and bomb it. That simple. So much technology for nothing? Why kill peope and take the blame as the monster of the horror story?
The border has been quite for far too long. In that environment, the IDF starts to twitch. They need bloodshed, they relish it. Qana 3 is long overdue
"They" also drink blood of little children, and "they" destroy the world economy by controlling the banks. How stupid can you people get?
...own soil. That's a proven fact and thus every inch outside of Israel's 'border' is simply foreign territory.
israelians every day dirispecting lebanon's sovereignty, with their planes flying over the area, and their tanks, they are also occupying some villages in the south. They tried to cut a tree in lebanese territory it's normal that the lebanese army responds. If israelians respect their neighbours much of the problems would have been solved!
The caption states: A UNIFIL peacekeeper waves a UN flag as Israeli troops patrol the border fence in the southern Lebanese village of Adaisseh, Lebanon on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Is this true? Or is it a deliberate use of bad punctutation, where it was really the UNIFIL peacekeeper who was in Lebanon?
The IDF soldiers were on the "Israeli" side of the fence. When they crossed over the fence onto the "other side" then the Lebanese soldiers fired into the air i.e. they fired warning shots. REGARDLESS of wether or not the Lebanese were entitled to fire those warning shots (the "where is the border" argument) the IDF responded by firing missiles and tank shells **at** the Lebanese soldiers, at which point the Lebanese soldiers responded with sniper fire and RPGs. That appears to be the sequence of events, but we will know for sure when those UNIFIL observers in Adaisseh write their reports.....
Nethanyahu is known to be very allergic to peace. So as history shows: each time when Israel is close to establish durable peace with the Palestinians, Nethanyahu orders the IDF to cause tensions and to start provocations. However since Bush has been replaced by Obama, this time Nethanyahu could not provoke the Palestinians. Thus this time Nethanyahu must have ordered the IDF to provoke the Lebanese army.
And the destruction of the World Trade Center was caused by a giant squid whose tentacles tore the buildings into tiny pieces.
...the fence is a dozen yards or so INSIDE Israel.
Actually no it's not, technically the border is "international" land and it's Lebanese land. And the same with Shebaa, with the Shebaa villagers "crossed" into their area they were not crossing into Israel, they were crossing into occupied Lebanon...
"Shebaa villagers /Sheba farm are Syrian land and for time being Israel has sovereignty over Sheeba.
The question of "where is the border?" matters only insofar as it determines wether (or not) the Lebanese troops were entitled to fire warning shots. It is a quite separate issue to question the IDF response of firing tank shells and shooting missiles at Lebanese Army vehicles. Or, put another way: if the fence is a dozen yards INSIDE Israel then (a) Israel is justified in demanding an apology from Lebanon, but (b) the IDF was not "justified" using shoot-to-kill force in response to shots fired into the air.
Could this have anything to do with cementing unity while the Lebanese are anxious about the Harari findings? Maybe Mossad killed Harari
In fact I heard that the Mossad also assassinated Abraham Lincoln and Archduke Ferdinand. At least that's what it says in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, but I bet you knew that already.
It's fact- The UN, lebanese, all know hezbollah's and syrian involvement.
hardly has any incentive to cause a war. They don't even have tanks or air defenses!
See the latest best seller just out? Assassinations? No such thing. Israel does not use terror. There is even a flag and a government. Most civilized nation in the M.E.
this is the beginning of the new war. expect heavy hezbollah fire.
I sure hope not, haven't we had enough wars in this part of the world? Is it not clear to you that heavy Hezbollah fire will result in a massive Israeli response. People will die on both sides (though I'd be willig to be that more will die in Lebanon) by me that's a tragedy and not something to cheer about. I guess that's the difference between being a watcher, tucked safely away thousands of kilometers from here and actually having to live here. I bet most people in Lebanon just like most people here in Israel are really hoping that this doesn't lead to a war.
Thank you for this great response. as a lebanese living on the other side of the border, I also hoppe that Hizbollah won't repond and that no more casualties occur on either side of the border. It is war mongers and chicken hawks that drive us to war, and peace makers need to be as aggressive in seeking peace as they are in advocarting for war from the safety of their far away homes/
Take a look at the front page of the Jerusalem Post this morning and you will see a picture of the incident. An IDF soldier is standing on the end of a crane to hook up a tree. The soldier and crane are clearly over the border fence in Lebanese territory.
You're assuming that the fence is right on the border but often that's not the case. In many places Israeli territory extends for a few or even tens of meters beyond the fence. This is often the case where the terrain is difficult. That having been said, I can see how Lebanese forces could've mistakenly beleived that the fence was the border and thus Israeli troops north of the border were on Lebanese territory. Need to wait and see. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail.
The border with Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan consist of multiple fences marking, among other things, the International Border and a buffer/security zone. The buffer zone is Israeli territory set up for security. This particular fence MAY be the fence marking the beginning of the security buffer and not Lebanese territory. So, before spouting immediate, blind hatred towards Israel, try and educate yourself.
You need to get some glasses ofr a better photo display system perghaps a better monitor. The crane the vehicles and teh soldiers are allm on the Israeli side. I have imgaed itm enhanced it, enlarged it to 20 inch by 30 inch and porinted it out. You are wrong. Nuf said
If true then Israel is perfectly entitled to lean a crane over that fence.
... set foot on my land - will I kill him and his family? Of cource not! Hizbullah on the other side ...
AN image enhancer? Get a life man. You were not there. What ERSB stated is accurate about the fence and the actual borders. So go keep enhancing all you want. Unless you were there you dont know the F happened. Nuf said
...has a bloody history of gruesome massacres, and sets foot on my land uninvited don't expect me to greet him with flowers
Then decide if there's actually a direct border between Lebanon and Israel.
Even if the Lebanese army is not entitled to fire warning shots, exactly how is the IDF justified in responding by demolishing an Lebanese army vehicle with a helicopter-launched missile? I *get* that Israeli soldiers who are still on Israeli soil should not have warning shots fired into the air. I *understand* that concept. What I don't get is how an Israeli soldier is justified in responding to such a warning by killing that person ...
that cutting down a tree have serious environmental repercussions !
if people weren't actually dieing and we weren't on the verge of a war. Maybe you should save your pithy remarks for something a bit less serious.
One of the problems with the internet is that partial and often wrong information starts flowing before anyone knows what's really happened. The reports on this incident are often contradictory and raise many questions such as were the Israeli soldiers in Lebanese or Israeli territory (Israeli territory often continues for a few meters beyond the security fence)? Did the IDF coordinate the operation with UNIFIL? Did Israel open fire first or only after the Lebanese? Are operations (cutting down trees/vegetation so it can't be used by terrorists to hide in) like this common and we just don't hear about them because no one gets shot or was this unusual? If they are common, why did the Lebanese soldiers choose today to open fire when they hadn't done so in the past? Even if the Israeli troops were on Lebanese soil, is opening fire on them a "proportionate" response to cutting down a tree? Lots of questions and few answers. It's very fishy that since the Arab League and PLO agreed (conditionally) to begin negotiations we've had multiple flare ups not to mention the US turning up the pressure on Iran and the report on the Harriri murder coming soon. Anyone of these could lead to Iran or Hizballa or Hamas or Al-Quida or other terror groups looking to spark a war, or it could all be coincidence and mistakes. Let's just hope that cooler heads prevail and that this doesn't spin out of control.
The very voice of moderation. Haaretz has at least three by-lines open on this topic themselves, nevermind how many the other services have. Truly a wait and see approach is best for now. Maybe even nasrallah will calm down and think for a minute.
corpse on Lebanese territory , IDF tries to drag him out.
Ah so they where on Lebanese territory. And who told them that they are welcome!
your report of an IDF casualty is as accurate as the rest of the lefty crap in this talk back
Anyway, my tought are with the lebanese soldiers and civilians that died. May God bless you my brothers.
than to violate the Lebanese border and to kill regular army soldiers. Now no one will blame them for attacking Israel...
They will attack for any reason. What Hizbullah needs to understand is they are not imune from being hit hard either. They will take casualties, their infrastructure will be damaged, and they will in teh end be the cause of lebanon going back 20 years . let them Attack. They know teh consequences from last time. They6 have 20,000 fighters. Great 40,000 rockets even better. Only 900 launchers so they cannot use all 40,000 rockets and fully a third of those fighters will die, the rest will hide under teh skirts of teh local women.
5 dead reported until now: 3 lebanese soldiers, one israeli soldier and one lebanese journalist.
so it appears that the Israeli soldier did not die. And the Leb number went from 4 soldiers to 3 soldiers and a journalist.
will be the last war for israel. ( tel aviv )
Yes it could be that this will be the last war for Israel, I am afraid to say that this will be because we Israel will not have whom to fight as Lebanon will probably disintegratre...
I can think of, at least 3 more wars for Israel: the Psalm 83 war, the Ezekiel 38 war, and Armaggedon. Guess what? Israel comes out victorious from all 3!
Israel should finish the job properly this time bye bye lebanon ..... leba'g'one!
I hope so, because next war the hizbolla will be competely destroyed
Why this is not mentioned anywhere?
Israel never hide its dead you moron!
three Lebanese soldiers died and israeli murder too.
Everyone should keep calm and not blame either side as it will take time for the truth to come out and if it is true is a tree worth killing over?
israelis are so paranoid and hate Arab trees!
Coincidentally, US troops will be withdrawn from Iraq within a month. Kinda makes you wonder.
They are doing everything they can to escalate into a war. If UNIFIL can't/won't stop them, then we (Israel) must.
Israel is the one who broke into Lebanese territory, and the one who responded to warning shots with artillery. I'd say it's Israel who is escalating.
It was only the Lebanese who made the claim that Israel provoked this incident. Even UNIFIL, which is no friend of Israel, is unable to point a finger at Israel and so it makes a tepid statement urging 'both sides' not to escalate the violence.
you know that thier is a boook about two thousand pages long that was put together a very long time ago . it has a very good track record of never being wrong on the predictions that are made in it . towards the very end of this book . the wording is very specific about israel and who attacks israel and how they attack israel . i find that the information very interesting as the oness that are suppose to lead this great offensive are infact joining forces so to speak today in modern time . now since everything else is right let me tell the end . they win such a victory they never have to fight a war again . israel is the spark that burned the world if you know what this means . the united states knows the history of this book and is the very reason they will not fight against israel .
Two Lebanese soldiers killed. What now? WAR ?? :o
Here Lie Two Lebanese Soldiers Killed When Prime Minister Hariri Decided to Create a Diversion from the News that His Father Had Been Assasinated by Hezbollah
It is really funny to see that a lot of people from their armchairs already know what started the skirmish and pass a judgement on Israel. Nobody knows the facts so far, so remain silent now and speak your mind later. BTW, the fate of Lebanese soldiers leaves me cold me cold.
While Leaving Lebanese territory... Israel launched a war that killed 1200 Lebanese civilians not including what they did to Lebanon's infrastructure and the environmental damages....
In recent news the head of Lebanon's telecommunications community has stepped forward for spying for Israel for the past 15 yrs. Israel has infiltrated Lebanese telecommunication network and has had the ability to change data... Lebanese-Israeli spies were found in Lebanon... a lot of them from South Lebanon working for Israel. Do not be surprised if some low ranking Hezballah member was really an Israeli spy =)
it is not the first time IDF do this but this time the Lebanese army responded and im happy they did as Lebanese! this is the job of an army!!
What the hell is happening with those ppl in IDF or whatever it is called?they tried to cut a tree inside Lebanon,don't they know that this will cause new clashes!Really they don't have brains.
It says the IDf actions were coordinated with the UN peace keeper force - additional information on other websites also says the army was operating between the UN recognized blue line and the border fence - WITHIN Israeli territory.
What appeals to their vewpoint only,and dismiss the NUB of the MATTER entirely. I think these types should have a REFRESHER COURSE on how by reading the article correctly thus acquiring A GOOD PERSPECTIVE of the real FACTS on the ground.They they do not PROVES THEIR LAZINESS.
Please Israel! Finish off Hizballah... Please Israel save us from Hizballah! // Christian Lebanese
This is really unacceptable. Don't even call yourself Lebanese. You are just nothing.
I am christian Lebanese and pro 14March and Lebanese forces and you sir are an idiot with no dignity
you dumb ass christian lebanese if Israel could finish hizbullah they would havedone so long time ago, and again why dont you just move to israel since there are many traitors like you and geaga in lebanon
Israel has no territorial claims over Lebanon. Israel wants peace with Lebanon and peace would bring prosperity to the whole region from Gaza to Beirut. One can only imagine the beauty of a seashore stretching from Gaza to Beirut full of discos, clubs, restaurants, casinos. The only obstacle to peace are Hammas-Hizbala and Syria. Christians, Jews and moderate Muslims should be brothers in arms against Hizbalah- Hammas- Iran.
The majority of them like Hezbollah so much that they voted for them in the last election
you must be an israeli agent and never a true Lebanese.
Go solve your own problems. Don't look to Israel to sacrifice it's sons and its treasure to save you in Lebanon. We have enough problems of our own.
Lets see if this thing escalates more, Hezbullah will then not remain passive and he will kick the IDF's butt really good this time
There should be no need to guess what will happen if the IDF will make the mistake to pursue with military acts against Lebanon. In 2006 Israel's Merkava tanks were shot out of action and nowadays Hezbollah is able to take down IAF fighterjets.
This news report is contradicted by IDF Spokesperson announcements
I'm glad that they finally about speaking out!
the same way they didn't attack the boats coming to Gaza?
i also saw report of israeli official saying we were on other side of the boarder but after watching news in hebrew report said we were on the other side of boarder fence. the fence is not on the boarder its in israel at least 50 meeters before the boarder but it is often refered to as the boarder although all parties recognize that it is not the actual boarder this was done so we could go past it while still being in israel. the action with removingt he tree was cordinated with the UN who also recognizes that the tree is on the \israeli side of the line and all parties agree that lebanese troops fired first, so dont blame the IDF for starting this. last time i checked i was allowed to remove trees on my property
So i notice this is a step up for a new war. What people want is what people get. This is a strategy to keep the armsbusiness rolling and defence budget without any cutdowns. And to keep its population at its toes from the "terrorists states" When will Israel learn how to end wars and make peace to its neighbours and use what good comes of.it to prosper.
You do know who they are dealing with, animals bent on total Israely distruction and nothing else. By the way Israel is prospering, all your peacefull Arab countries are not
Did they hit or miss?
Almanar said that a high ranked soldier of tsahal is killed and the army is trying to remove him from the Lebanese territory. This may be the reason of the continued firing today and the helicopters over Lebanon.
One soldier and one civilian.
IDF needs to target practice if they are going to attack Iran. Good start jokers, targeting a tree.
IDF needs to target practice if they are going to attack Iran. Good start jokers, targeting a tree.
let me guess lebanon never existed as a sovereign state it was always israel and jewish territory blah blah blah blah.... yawn. Another war started by the IDF.... another invasion of lebanon being attempted... such a peaceful country this Israel.
Let's not forget to be a leader in israel you have to have been in your younger years a mossad agent or a member or the terrorist Haganah or the lovely Stern Gang. Or...hey! ALL THREE! Such a peaceful and lovely occupier, with their housing demolition projects and their Nazi-like second-class-citizen passports for palestinians marked 'Arab'.....Oh to live in the "Only democracy in the middle east".
Reagan was tough standing up to Grenada and Nicaragua but he caved in Lebanon over the embassy. All the peace talk with Abbas is meaningless if Hamas and Hezbolllah do not parcipate. The withdrawal from Iraq allows the US to actively pursue the eradication of Hezbollah. Watch any speech by Nasralleh. I am guilty of thinking that Hamas does not want peace either. The Herkevas and Abrams can protect Israel. Rockets from Gaza and Lebanese artillery are pleas from the terrorist groups to have a say in the upcoming talks. Screw them both.
"It started when the Israelis wanted to cut a tree down inside Lebanon. The Lebanese army fired warning shots at them and they responded by shelling," one security source in Lebanon said. LMAO
them days are over for isreal you cant just walk in to another country and what you wanna do people gonna fight you back idf need to think before they blink then isreal say we want peace
The UN couldn't prevent athletes foot.H'bullah have been re-arming ever since the last conflict and as if by magic you get an attack in the south and one in the north...sound familiar.If nothing changes..nothing changes so to end a state of war you have to have either a peace agreement or a military victory..at the moment you have neither...personally I can only see a military option when dealing with terrorists!..Good luck!!
This Netanyahu is so predictable, work towards peace to get the world off his back and then create a situation to interrupt it and stop it. It is so transparent. Why is the israeli army crossing to Lebanon to cut a tree today, what is the ugency? this tree has been around for tens of years, why now? I look for answers. Israel is playing with fire that might burn it.
Have you seen that tree yourself ? I haven't.
Have you seen that tree yourself ? I haven't.
They are very predictable these Arab "leaders". Once they go for a fight they will do everything they can in order to get it. A tree? No, a wish. It could have been a goat for that case. They want another round. They fired missiles at Ashkelon, at Shaar HaNegev, at Eilat and they hit Aqaba. Thanks God they did hit Aqaba, otherwise people like you would say that there were no missiles at all as you have been saying for the past nine years.
Why should the Lebanese fire warning shots?
... the whole story about a "poor uprooted tree" appears to be a ghastly-cooked fairy tale.
leb fire warning shots becuase if they shoot to kill, the IDF will take tyhem out , all of them. What is stupid is cutting down a tree in lebanion. Thats stupid, If indeed that is teh real reason this hapopened. Perhaps it was in teh buffer zone on ISraels side and we just dont have the full story. But the above Dear natalie is teh reason warning shots were fired
absolutely not Natalie. They are not directly shot on sight. They are warned several times before, in Arabic (the soldiers learn phrases like: " This is a secured area, please leave emmediatly' and only if there is reallt resistance and they persist, the soldier is allowed to shoot, but only on the leg, Not allowed to target the rest of the body. Its what every soldier learns in the army, for guarding. So you are Wrong, very wrong.
absolutely not Natalie. They are not directly shot on sight. They are warned several times before, in Arabic (the soldiers learn phrases like: " This is a secured area, please leave emmediatly' and only if there is reallt resistance and they persist, the soldier is allowed to shoot, but only on the leg, Not allowed to target the rest of the body. Its what every soldier learns in the army, for guarding. So you are Wrong, very wrong.
eh, because the IDF were in Lebanese territory and had no business being there. Ever heard of sovereignty? (Im sorry, but anyone who hasnt heard of this concept shouldnt even be partaking in a conversation like this.) I mean, if Iranian forces came into Israel for whatever reason, I dont think the Israeli army would be too happy now would they?! The usual double standards I see. And yes people, keep kidding yourselves about who the real war mongers are here..it will get you nowhere. It would be much better if you actually confronted reality in order to make your country into one you can actually be proud of! But I understand that you find this hard because the reality (of your government policies in particular) in your case is very depressing indeed
because they crossed our territory. And we will do the same for every one who will try to do so
Lebanese websites report that at this moment Israeli helicopters are flying inside Lebanon. The IDF started the action when it aimed to cut a tree on Lebanese soil. A tree which allegedly seemed to have blocked the IDF sight into Lebanon. I guess those IDF men must have been settlers as they are used to cut down trees on other people's soil and start to cause problems. As soon as Hezbollah gets involved, they will shoot down IDF helicopters out of the air by using Russian Igla missiles. The IDF should mind its actions.
The day after netanyahu backtracked and agreed to the Flotilla enquiry. The IDF begins another war with lebanon to ensure that it doesn't happen.
And I suppose the fire of Islamorockets from the Sinai yesterday was for the same purpose.
What do rockets fired at Jordan from Egypt got to do with Israel?
Because the rockets fired from Egypt into Jordon are automatically blamed on Israel.
"But despite strong backing for Hezbollah, Syria remained keen to strike a peace deal with Israel... A political settlement with Israel is high on Syria's list of priorities and intelligence shows a will to reach an agreement – but on their terms, meaning a return of the Golan Heights and American involvement" [Brig. Gen. Baidatz of MI] said." - Haaretz One would think such an analysis, and others over the years, would lead to one simple conclusion: Get Syria out of Iran`s orbit and make peace with it. This will bring an end to military Hizballah by chocking off its weapons supply, and also bring peace with Lebanon. Syria`s close alliance with Iran is not natural. Syria is secular, Iran fundamentalist. Syria is an Arab state, Iran Persian (long time no friends). Syria is mostly Sunni, Iran Shiite. Syria used to be friendly to the US, since they joined the coalition against Saddam in the 1991 war. Jim Baker visited Syria 15 times. After the 9-11 attacks Syria helped the US in hunting al-Qaida, even to the extent of torturing some on behalf of the CIA. But Syria continued to support Hizballah as pressure against Israel. However, Bush had larger (and confused) ambitions, so he made Hizballah one of his targets. Syria, as their supporter, became "evil", and Israel can now use this excuse to refrain from dealing with Syria and maintain its hold over the Golan. There is a price to the Israeli reluctance to talk peace with Syria. Since 1973, when Egypt got out of the Israeli-Arab conflict, Syria tried to cause trouble only indirectly, so as not to be attacked itself. Israel, though had to go to war twice already, in Lebanon, in 1982 and 2006. Another one is expected. All these were indirect Syrian wars. But now, Syria is willing to repeat the Hizballah strategy and engage Israel in its own war, perhaps as part of a larger war led by Iran.
When they are leaving Lebanon? or maybe they are going to stay and join the brawl.
you got us pegged paul. we is just itching to get at those varmints. how did you possible make that facile observation...grrrr.
Take your neighbors as they are. A tree in a foreign country, well, thats Israel, permanent war against everybody and everything is allowed. Read Dinstein.
Don't let "them" decide for Israel !
Lets see if you get it right on round 3...
I cut down trees, I skip and jump I love to press wild flowers....... Isn't this all a bit silly. Why on earth did the IDF want to cut down a tree inside Lebanon?
U said "Why on earth did the IDF want to cut down a tree inside Lebanon?" Easy answer....IDF did it just to provoke a reaction from Lebanon Army in order to retaliate afterward. It's the usual old "game" played by IDF.
Well the widely expected 2010 war against Lebanon seems to have been started. Just like operation 'cast lead': the IDF has been preparing for it months in advance. And when the IDF prepares for a war, there will be a war. When will Israelis realize that the IDF is the problem and not the solution for peace and stability.
``[Nasrallah] reminds me of Saddam Hussein, who dragged Iraq into several similar adventures which have led to the complete destruction of Iraq," she said. The writing is on the wall for the Hezbollah. Nasrallah will be the cause of Lebanon's total destruction including his. He is arrogant and irresponsible while hidding in the sewers or drains like a frightened rat.
idf is asking the Lebanese army on loud speakers please let us get our injured troops out take them out and stay out
Well, this rat had the mighty IDF run away like scared Mickey Mouse back in May 2000, and then when they tried again in 2006, taught then a lesson that they still have not woken up from.... it is pathetic that you resort to such language (drainage and rats) to describe the only adversary that you ever fought face to face and defeated you in like a man in flat knock out
First rockets into Eilat in the south, and not Hezbolla in the North, all Orchestrated escalations directly ordered from Tehran, but it doesn't matter, I'm glad this is happening.. It'll finally prove to the world exactly what happens when the Israel haters come out of their holes and test Israel for real... No more human shields please you "freedom fighters" come out wearing your uniforms if you have the courage...
No chance!! They kill from the sky and dont care about any distinction between fighters and civilians anyway.
Even Hamas denied part in Eilat... It's getting harder and harder to make people shoot in Israel's neighborhood. I wonder what part Interpol missed about Eilat bombing. DNA gets pristinely preserved in desert sands. Or they only investigate when terrorists get killed. When terrorist murder civilian, it seems their duty is to pretend everything is as per orders from their superior(s). They could at least to pretend to check the passports... you know?
Read the news again. Israel started today. Hezbollah is not in the picture today. My god!! So whether you're making sense or not you want to post your beliefs!! it's typically Israeli
Lebanon will always remain Lebanese. All Arabs might agree with you, they already have business relationships with you. ALL BUT Lebanese. THIS IS LEBANON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why don't YOU read the news again...? It says that LEBANON gave a conflicting report that Israel fired first, while the IDF gave a report that it fired a warning shot and then received fire for it. This Haaretz article was starting the explanation simply from the Lebanese "interpretation" not actually saying it as fact. So why don't YOU go read a bit better "it's typically arab"... :)
The only news I'm reading here is that of Haaretz quoting the Lebanese 'press'. That alone leaves me with enough reasonable doubt that the account presented here is true. More likely is that Hariri Jr. (in cahoots with his buddy Nasrallah the sewer rat) decided to start a mini-confrontation with Israel to divert from the news that Hezbollah killed Hariri Sr. And as always, the Jew-hating blob that is the Arab gutter will lap it all up.
From a Lebanese born women, who's probably the most intellectual woman to have ever come from Lebanon.. Her name is Brigitte Gabriel, why don't you go look up what a real Lebanese woman says about Lebanon...?
in war . when you fight to win . the rules are clear . a enemy that breathes is still a enemy . a enemy that doesn't breath has finally found peace . and usaully when you fight this way . you will win .
Do you know how many Leb troops also consider themselves Hezbollah?
Notice how they always coordinate their terrorist attacks? We need to strike a death-blow and end it once and for all.
leave the Arabs to themselves and go back to where your family originates. "Terrorism" problem solved.
The story says Israel was cutting down trees in lebanese territory. Lebanese ARMY fired WARNING shots, Israel fired tank shells back.
The story says Israel was cutting down trees in lebanese territory. Lebanese ARMY fired WARNING shots, Israel fired tank shells back.
The Arabs are free to leave to themselves, i.e. to the Arab Peninsula
If terrorists in South Lebanon keep making trouble to the people in Galilee, Israel should give it to them. No peace in Galilee, wretched life for Hizbollahstan. It is as simple as that in the Arab world.
It would backfire even more than the last wars that Israel has "won".
As a lot of terrorists are living in Israel self I don't think you can solve your "Terrorism" problem.
For hundereds of years- until 1929. Thank you for ***allowing*** me to live where I do anyway.
After 60 years of attempted "death-blows", will you ever learn?
Leave the Arabs to themselves,you are right,that way they will wipe out each other like they are doing in Iraq,Afghanistan,Pakistan,Gaza,Yemen,and almost every other Muslim state.
Besides the fact that it's LEBANON, not hizbullahstan, you can go uproot trees in your gardens in Tel Aviv instead of crossing our borders and ruining our trees. it's summer, why don't you chill on the beach as we, your much more civilized neighbours, do?
Only if they go back to Arabia, where they came from. Or if Europe gives them "their" Al Andaluz / Iberia back.
Do they teach them to read? or only brain wash them?
If the issues was cutting down the trees which were giving Hizbollah cover to place weapons closer to the border...A simpler way to do this would be to just burn the trees down without crossing the border As far as UN troops, What a joke?
So, you want people to go back to where they came from? I agree, but let's do it with the same chronological order. The majority of the Israelis came in the 20th century, so they go back first. The arabs came from the Arab "peninsula" thousands of years ago (??? if it's true) then just hold your breath for a while, OK?. Unless you want to go further back in time, and for all of us to return to the caves, or maybe climb on trees.. this seems to be the plan.
I can not believe how many uneducated fools are on this blog. David I think if you read your bible it doesn't ever mention palestine. There is a reason that it is never mentioned in history as a state or o people until after 1967. I think that many on this blog need to do a little homework. As for the shelling again a little more investigation is needed by many of the mental morons on this blog.
All I wanted to point out is that a country in the grips of Hezbollah is no longer a free and independent Lebanon, but in fact Hizbollahstan. The result of your country bristling with radicals is that you now have to bury these soldiers. Stop your belligerent attitude and you civilized people will be left alone in your Garden of Eden.
IT READS "IDF soldiers had been working in complete coordination with UN peacekeepers. "
And we should go back to where we came from, where "Avraham avinu" came from. Ur Qasdim, i.e. south-eastern Iraq? Thanks, no.
caves, or maybe climb on trees....would be a vast improvement.
Palestinians sure are lucky with Israeli to take care of things.
If the IDF cut the trees it is for BETTER VISION and it is well known from past experience. Get the story right some of you who are writing PORKIES..And who know nothing about military OBJECTIVES.I said it once I'll say it again:THERE IS NO MORE FREE LEBANON AS COUNTRY EXISTING NOW. No matter how you cut it, Lebanon is now HEZBOLISTAN.And why the liberal and the LEBANON LOVERS have now turned to SPYING.Mkes sense doesn't it on how sick they are toward their leader CRAWLING like RATS following Hizballah. And if I may,Hassan's days are numbered,wy he stilll hides in his BUNKER. And don't any Lebanese here tell us otherwise..I know the truth hurts but accept it.
The killings of Muslims/Arabs conmtinue anabated every single day.Iraq supposedly free now? Bull to that too..The daily killings has been proven (even at the BBC)So indeed leave the Arab/Muslims alone..They are doing fine without israel lifting a finger. Jolly good show in Yemen,Afghanistan Iraq and elsewhere too. has anyone heard of Jaama Islamiya in the Philipines as well as other places.Leave them to their misery and let them benefit by DRINKING THE BLOOD OF THEIR so-called brothers in CULT.
But if they had lived there for hundreds of years they had done so in peace with Palestinians until zionism reared it's ugly head and if it had not would have gone on living in Al Khalil/Hebron in Peace as they had done in peace, harmony and in a very good life style.
If you are really from Hebron, then you are a Palestinian like your fellow Moslem, Christian and jews who are the aboriginal population. You should join your fellow citizens to repel the european invaders who looke down on you
Jerusalem had been built and Jews lived in it long before the Arab "umma" was created: Islam is 1400 years old only, whereas the Jewish civilization is much older (you may need to check some secondary schools textbooks). As for the 20th century arrivals to Israel, there is one thing you may want to consider. About 18% of the Israel's population is comprised of people who had arrived from the former Soviet Union. There were called "Jews" back there and often discriminated. For that reason, they feel very strong attachment to Israel, both to the land and the country. Taking into account that they are pretty non-nonsense people in their political views, they hardly understand the concept of "political correctness". As Israel's patroits and soldiers, they are ruthless and adamant. I sincerely suggest you to avoid any discussions with them regarding "who and where came from", unless you have a strong urge to participate in Jerusalem-to-Arabia camel races (you may unintentionally reach the destination first, i.e. before the camels). Just a common-sence suggestion from my part. Good luck.