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Violence on Lebanese border has escalated in recent months
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Soldier Uzi Peretz was killed in a Hizbullah attack on Wednesday
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Fliers seek condemnation of attacks

Israel distributes advertisements in Lebanon calling for ending support of Hizbullah, after terrorists kill soldier on northern border; Hizbullah response: breach of Lebanese soverignty

TEL AVIV - (VIDEO) Israel arranged the distribution of fliers in Lebanon that call for condemning attacks by Hizbullah and for the group's detainment, a day after its terrorists killed an Israeli soldier on the northern border.

 

Hizbullah television said Thursday in response that Israel's distribution of the fliers was a breach of Lebanese sovereignty.

 

The flier, printed in Arabic, addresses the "Lebanese government and the Lebanese people" and is signed "The State of Israel."

 

"The Hizbullah organization carried out an act of terror inside Israeli territory. Hizbullah serves foreign interests and acts with the intention of dragging Israel to respond in a way that would justify its terrorist existence," it read. "These irresponsible moves could bring destruction and return Lebanon to its years of horror, at a time when hope for peace and prosperity in a New Lebanon has been created. Don't allow Hizbullah to gamble with the future of Lebanon and cause harm to the Lebanese people who chose a different way."

 

Video: Reuters

 

The flier said Israel sees the Lebanese government as responsible for any hostile act that occurs on Lebanese territory and is directed toward Israel, and expects it to implement its rule in the south and stop Hizbullah from escalating military tensions in the area.

 

Army spokewoman Sharon Feingold told Reuters (see video from Reuters) that Israel will not accept "this kind of terrorism emanating from Lebanon by the Hizbullah terrorist organization."

 

Flier distributions

 

Israel has often handed out similar fliers against terror groups in Arab populations.

 

The Air Force dropped hundreds of printed letters in Gaza last year condemning mortar bomb and rocket launchers, saying such terrorist gangs use the civilian population as a platform for carrying out attacks, and therefore disrupt everyday life.

 

The army also distributed fliers during its largest Gaza operation in October against rocket-launchers, calling on northern Gaza citizens not to allow terrorists to fire munitions from their towns.

 

Israel hopes its letters in Lebanon will encourage Lebanese officials who oppose Hizbullah to act against the group and stop the opening of another attack front on the northern border.

 

Mordechai Keider, a lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Culture Studies at Bar-Ilan University, said Hizbullah has upped its attacks in order to "keep the Israeli file open, because of Lebanese sources who want to close it."

 

"While the group feels threatened by (Lebanese Prime Minister Saab) al-Hariri who won the election and from General Mishel Aoun, it is aiming its weapons towards Israel...in order to legitimize its actions, mainly due to its concern of the demands by international sources that it disarm in accordance with U.N. resolution 1559," he said.

 

Israel pulled out of Lebanon in 2000 after almost 18 years of fighting with Hizbullah terrorists.

 

- Roee Nachmias contributed to this report

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.30.05, 10:43
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