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Halutz: Lebanon appealed for ceasefire
Defense minister and IDF chief of staff convene Tuesday to discuss violent clashes in north, report Lebanese government has appealed for ceasefire in region. Israel will respond with all means available in future as well, Halutz says
Hanan Greenberg
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz convened Tuesday with IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, Northern Command Chief Udi Adam and other senior officers in the northern region, to conduct an evaluation of the current situation along Israel's border with Lebanon following clashes between the IDF and Hizbullah Monday.
| Escalation in North |
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| IDF, Hizbullah clash on border / Sharon Roffe Ofir |
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Hizbullah bombards northern Israel Monday afternoon; 12 Israelis hurt, several terrorists killed in apparent attempt to abduct IDF troops. Army responds with artillery fire, Air Force fighter jets bomb Hizbullah targets in Lebanon |
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Mofaz rejected claims that the IDF response to the Hizbullah offense was too mild, and stated that "it was an aggressive and large-scale response."
"We don't know how many casualties Hizbullah has suffered as a result, but we do know we hit infrastructure targets - communications, intelligence and command posts," he said.
"Our attack was harsh and strong. Israel has not struck any of these targets since the withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000," he added.
According to Mofaz, Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has planned to give a speech Tuesday, in a bid to boast the organization's successes. However, in light of the situation, such a speech will not be held.
"This is another victory for the IDF," Mofaz stated.
'Hizbullah under Syrian, Iranian pressure'
Hizbullah's operations were a result of pressures asserted on the organization by Syria and Iran that wish to divert international attention to the region, Chief of Staff Halutz said.
"Hizbullah has paid a price for this attempt. They are literally playing with fire, and are preventing the Lebanese political system from stabilizing," he added.
The chief of staff said that Israel has received an appeal from Lebanon, relayed through the U.N., to cease fire in the area, following retaliation on the border.
This appeal was a 'refreshing turnaround," Halutz said, adding that he believed this violent incident was not the last, and that similar appeals will be transmitted in the future.
Halutz went on to laud the conduct of the 202 paratroop regiment during an operation
near the northern village of Rajar, in particular the outstanding heroism of Corporal David Markovitz who killed four terrorists during the regiment's operation Monday.
The Hizbullah, Halutz said, continued with its tradition of lies and deceptions when it claimed Monday that the incident was the result of Israeli aggression, while in fact it took place on Israeli territory.
Both the defense minister and the chief of staff stressed that the IDF has a variety of means available for response to such attacks, and that Israel will continue to employ its deterrence capacities on the northern border.
During the meeting, Mofaz and Halutz were presented with the weapons and ammunition recovered from the bodies of the terrorists that were killed at Rajar.
These included rifles, machine guns, magazines, radios, grenades, helmets and a Hizbullah flag.
A motorcycle that was intended for use by the terrorists who planned to abduct a soldier was also confiscated.
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