Yaalon: Jihadists May Have Fired Rockets against Israel to Lure Hizbullah into Conflict
Israel stated on Monday that jihadists seeking to spark a conflict between Hizbullah and Israel may have been behind Sunday's firing of rockets against the Jewish state from southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that the rocket attack may have been aimed at luring Hizbullah into an a conflict as part of the jihadists' war against the party.
Moreover, he commented that the civil war in Syria has spread to Lebanon in that a Sunni-Shiite struggle has emerged in the country.
Some sides are attempting to drag Israel into this conflict, said Yaalon.
Later on Monday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon announced that the Lebanese army on Sunday found four rocket firing sites with improvised launch mechanisms in the al-Khraybeh area east of al-Khiyam.
UNIFIL investigators, accompanied by army units, inspected the launch sites, all four of which were located in close vicinity of each other, it said in a statement.
UNIFIL also inspected one site near Sarda in southern Lebanon where one of the rockets had impacted after apparently falling short of its intended range, as well as an impact site for the Israeli artillery shelling indicated by the Lebanese army close to the rocket launch area.
UNIFIL’s air reconnaissance observed several other impacts of the Israeli shelling scattered around the same general area. UNIFIL radars had detected a total of 32 artillery shells fired by the Israeli army shortly after the rockets were launched and directed at the area from where the rockets had been fired.
Yesterday, a UNIFIL investigation team visited northern Israel and inspected one rocket impact site near Kiryat Shmona.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the perpetrators had attempted to fire at least four rockets towards Israel, two of which impacted in northern Israel in the general area of Kiryat Shmona and a third fell within Lebanon near Sarda. Initial indications are that the fourth rocket exploded at the launch site.
“UNIFIL investigations are ongoing in close coordination with the Lebanese army to unravel all the facts and circumstances relating to this incident of grave violation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 and one that had a dangerous potential to escalate further,” said that statement.
“UNIFIL is in regular contact with the parties who have reaffirmed their commitment to the cessation of hostilities and are working in cooperation with UNIFIL to maintain the calm that has since been restored along the Blue Line,” it stressed.
UNIFIL in close coordination with Lebanese army has intensified its patrols across its area of operations to prevent any further incidents.
The situation in UNIFIL’s area of operations is calm, concluded the statement.
Two missiles fired from southern Lebanon exploded Sunday in northern Israel, prompting the Israeli military to hit back with 20 shells against the South.
No one from either side of the border was wounded in the incident.
almost 11 years
nothing new there, protecting each others.
Plus israel like to put oil on fire...
almost 11 years
One works with the other so that both the Likud of Israel and the Hezbollah of Lebanon sustain each other.
The Likud wish to keep the Assad Regime in Syria. So what does Hezbollah do? It provides the crack infantry that is supporting the Assad Regime in Syria. One works always with the other to maintain the status quo for each side to the detriment of Lebanon and of the Lebanese people.
almost 11 years
Ironic isn't it? Seeing the extremism growing in Syria, Israel prefers HA and Assad regime to stay. And unfortunately both outcomes are bad for Lebanon.
almost 11 years
That's a zombie's answer to a discussion, but I will comment anyway.
Both the spread of Salafi/Wahabi/Whatever extremism AND the continued presence of "resistance" are BAD for LEBANON. SO pretty obviously Israel now prefers the "resistance" to the extremists since they'd be far too much trouble. Got it?
almost 11 years
Uff all that... Well hezbo would be stupid to go to war with israel now and u cannot be always stupid (remember before proclaming divine victory nasrallah was saying "if i knew":lawou kountou a3lam....
And n
almost 11 years
Uff all that... Well hezbo would be stupid to go to war with israel now and u cannot be always stupid (remember before proclaming divine victory nasrallah was saying "if i knew":lawou kountou a3lam....
And now hezbollah has better to do, killing all anti syrian regime oponants in syria bc they r all takfiris... I would hv personaly prefered a war against israel than a war with the syrian people... In fact i would have preferedno war at all but who cares...
almost 11 years
Hizbollah the great decievers
almost 11 years
no.
I think this has more to do with how successful the attack was.
This is an obvious noob attack. Thus not Hezbollah.
almost 11 years
Respect for a country that put its interest above anything else, Israel is the most developed country in the middle east and it will always be as long as it's surrounded by stone age animals, i just wish we lebanese can be like them and put the interest of our country
almost 11 years
No repect for a country that is treating arab israelians as segond citizen (racists) no respect for a country that expropriate people from their houses and burn their land... No respect at all they can hv all the technology they want they will still be a bunch of racists...
As for us i do agree that we can do so much better, u always hear of succesfull lebanese abroad maybe someday we will understand that we deserve better and that we can achieve so much...
No plus one for u...
almost 11 years
imagine_1979: Israel has no respect to Arabs in Israal. Shame on you Israel. why don't you take lesson how to treat Arabs from your neighbors ? Look how nicely the Palestinian being treated in Syria.
Why not to mention Lebanon? the Palestinian having full rights and citizenship, they can work, move study, being elected to the Lebanese parliament. Just wonder how come the stupid Israeli Arabs are that when you ask them when there will be a Palestinian independent government how many of you would prefer living under Palestinian authority or under Israeli government?
78 percent choose to live under Israel.
May be they know something other Arabs doesn't know? for example the right to be elected to the Israeli parliament ? or social benefits?
almost 11 years
i think u didn't even understand the question.
The so called resistance, HA/Iran/Syria is actually protecting the israeli border.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV8OlPGTgQ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq0MEBGZKAE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7DCATKEVdU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7DCATKEVdU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jEmhfsKA1I
almost 11 years
The people of Lebanon suffering from Amnesia.
They forget that Israel is doing all efforts to protect its inhabitants.
Contrary to Lebanese government that forgot its roll. instead of protecting its people it gave a warm nest to terror groups to act against Israel from its soil.
When Israeli retaliates the Lebanese crying to all the world blaming Israel. you should have thought about it from beginning, being a member of the Arab league participating in hostile acts against Israel, you should look for the Arabian solidarity.
But we all know that its all fake.
Lebanon will remain by itself in ruins.
So why from the 1st place you act like fulls?
Border was quiet for many years between Lebanon and Israel.
The villages and towns in South Lebanon were prosperous.
What do you have now in the South? an Iranian Muslim colony? is this better ?
Curious how both Israel and Hezbollah sing the same tune that the perpetrators of the rocket attack from Lebanon were "jihadis who oppose 'The Party' in Lebanon". There is almost a hint of affinity in the tone used by the Israeli Defense Minister for Hezbollah.
We see a repeat of the pattern, Hezbollah gets into trouble with the Lebanese, rockets somehow get fired into Israel, 4 of them into an open field, and Israel fires artillery into Lebanon, aimed not to cause damage. Then Hezbollah can reclaim its raison d etre that the Israeli aggressors are still there and thus justify an armed Hezbollah presence.