IDF threatens Lebanon raids

Officers say army would not hesitate to carry out incursions into Lebanon if UN peacekeeping force fails to prevent Hizbullah from reclaiming border posts or waging attacks

The withdrawal from Lebanon has been completed - Israel Defense Forces soldiers have redeployed along the international border between Israel and Lebanon and are preparing for possible attacks – a real test for the shaky ceasefire.

The Northern Command estimates that the coming months will be quiet as Hizbullah is busy with rearming and restructuring its forces after the war.

"We are likely to fall on protests, gatherings, and shepherds or unarmed individuals who lost their way," a senior officer said.

"That would be the first sign of Hizbullah's awakening, as that's how they test the ground, check the response and collect intelligence. Hizbullah never acted in a coincidental manner, as no operation was coincidental or without preplanning, including the kidnappings. If we see innocent people returning to the border, that would be a red light as far as we are concerned."

The army estimates that the political echelon shares its position that Hizbullah should not be allowed to return to the border.

Should the United Nations peacekeeping force and the Lebanese Army fail to prove their determination, the IDF could act: "At the moment that's not on the agenda, but if we have to, we are likely to see in Lebanon a mode of operation similar to that in the Gaza Strip after the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, such as incursions into Lebanese territories under aerial cover to carry out pinpoint operations to thwart threats."

Hanan Greenberg
Latest Update: 10.01.06, 14:59