Olmert observing
צילום: אבי אוחיון, לע"מ
Olmert: No strategic threat in north
Acting prime minister tours northern border with defense minister, IDF officials; Mofaz: Hamas' win strengthens Hizbullah
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Tuesday that "Hamas' victory in the (Palestinian parliamentary) elections strengthens Hizbullah in Lebanon."
Mofaz spoke while touring the northern border with Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Olmert warned of Hizbullah's attempts to kidnap IDF soldiers at the border and thus destabilize the situation in the area.
Mofaz said that Israel must be aware of Iran's attempts to obtain access to Lebanon, through the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and by transferring arms from Iran to Hizbullah.
Olmert received an intelligence briefing and a review of the threats Israel faces in the Hizbullah front. The officials also discussed the proposal to withdraw from the border village of Rajar, while observing the village and the Mount Dov range.
'Hizbullah trying to integrate into global Jihad'
During the briefing, IDF officials expressed their fear of a connection between Syria, Iran and Hizbullah at the northern border.
"Hizbullah is trying to upgrade its status in Lebanon and to integrate into global Jihad," a military official said.
Olmert said that Israel faces no strategic threat at its northern border, but that the State must be alert in order to maintain peace and stability.
Officials who took part in the tour said that an immediate response to any Hizbullah operation is needed in a bid to create deterrence and let the organization know there is a price for its actions.
IDF officials also reported of the army's fear of escalation in the northern border in the past few months.
