The Lebanese-Israeli border was quiet on Tuesday, but tension remained high following one of the most violent days along the border in five years. Israeli warplanes on Monday attacked suspected Hizbollah targets in south Lebanon near the village of Abayseh, just north of Israel. No immediate casualties were reported in the attack.
On Monday Hizbullah used a host of advanced weapons in an attacks against northern Israel, including "rockets, anti-tank weapons, mortars, light weapons, and sniper fire," sending residents of Israel's northern border into bomb shelters as a result.
Israel's Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz approved Israeli air strikes following the clashes, which left five Hizbullah members and one Israeli soldier dead. Mofaz referred to the Hizbullah barrage as "hostile war acts by Lebanon." An abduction attempt on an Israeli soldier had also been averted, he added.
Fire had been exchanged between Israel troops and Hizbollah through the pre-dawn hours Tuesday night.
Hours before the air strikes, Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz told reporters, "We are ready with a basket of operations. The basket of means in our hands is very diverse, and we will know how to use it with judgment."
Israeli authorities believe that the attack was a result of recent pressure on Syria in connection with the UN investigation into Damascus' possible involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, as well as international pressure on Hizbullah.
“The Hizbullah action is an attempt to draw Israel into an escalation and divert attention to our region,” Mofaz told reporters. The minister reportedly recommended that an official complain be filed with the United Nations, and that the details of Monday’s offensive be relayed to Egypt, the United States, and the European Union in an effort to prompt Lebanon to halt such attacks.
The US condemned Hizbullah's attacks against Israel, but urged Israel to exercise restraint in response.
Lahoud defends Hizbullah as country celebrates Independence Day
The tension along Lebanon's southern border came as the country celebrated today its 62nd Independence Day, made especially significant by the fact that it was the first independence day to be celebrated free from Syrian control in three decades.
Addressing crowds for the event in Beirut Martyrs' Square, Lebanon's pro-Damascus President Emile Lahoud defended Hizbullah's right to remained armed in the face of UN calls for disarmament. Lahoud, according to the AFP, dismissed such calls as a foreign plot against Hizbullah's resistance to Israel.
"Let no one imagine that the series of crimes that have been perpetrated in Lebanon and the foreign interventions trying to end the resistance are isolated acts -- there's a conspiracy being hatched against our country," Lahoud said.
Units of the Lebanon's army marched in Martyrs' Square for a one-hour parade, while twelve helicopters hovered over the event in a Cedar tree shape formation.
The site was not far from where former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive bombing last February.
Lebanon calls for calm
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora attempted to restore calm, meeting with representatives of Hizbullah, UN peace keeping forces in southern Lebanon, and US and French ambassadors to Beirut on Monday.
The UN Security Council failed to agree on how to condemn the violence, mainly because of disputes between the US and Algeria. US officials wanted the reference to Israel deleted and Algeria objected to putting the blame on Hezbollah, according to Haaretz.
After several hours of negotiations, Security Council members gave up trying to amend a statement, which would have condemned "military exchanges initiated by Hizbullah" as well as "Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace."
Envoys acknowledged the momentum to draft the condemnation had been lost despite the decision to continue talks regarding the matter.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
