Israel has warned Syria through the United States and United Nations that should attacks on northern parts of its country continue, it will respond by striking at Syrian targets in Lebanon, Israel Radio reported on Monday.
The warning follows the escalation of violence along the
border over the weekend, with an Israeli teenaged settler being killed and four others injured by Hezbollah fire on the town of Shlomi on Sunday.
Top Israeli sources told Israel Radio that Israel was waiting to see how Syria would respond to the pressure from Washington to rein in Hezbollah and warned
that if the diplomatic pressure fails, a further escalation in violence on the border should be expected.
"Syria is definitely the umbilical cord from which Hezbollah feeds," Israel's Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim told Army Radio.
"If there is escalation from their side, there will
be definitely be a clear military response from Israel that could inevitably be against Syrian targets."
Boim added that diplomatic pressure "could be an effective tool as well" but said that Israeli flights over parts of Lebanon, which he termed "reconnaissance missions", would
continue. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
