A senior IDF officer said Wednesday evening that “IDF soldiers will be permitted to open fire at gunmen along the Israel-Lebanon border if their lives are in jeopardy or if they identify terrorists planning to carry out an attack.”
The officer added that in case of a mass gathering on the Lebanese side that the soldiers believe is endangering the lives of Israeli civilians or their own, they will be permitted to carry out the suspect apprehending procedure, including firing at the lower part of the main suspect’s body, in the case he is identified.
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| Lebanon: UNIFIL tanks block IDF force / News agencies |
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French UNIFIL troops prevent IDF tanks, bulldozer from advancing deeper into Lebanese territory; reports say Israeli soldiers confiscated identity cards of photographers at the scene, claiming they may give pictures to Hizbullah |
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The officer added that indiscriminate automatic fire will be forbidden, and during incidents in which there is no danger to the soldiers the IDF force at the scene should contact UNIFIL so as not to escalate the situation.
The army’s weak spot remains the activity of Hizbullah members along the border to collect intelligence and assess the army’s situation; IDF forces find it difficult to act in such cases, and the terrorists continue to operate unabated.
According to the officer, no unusual incidents have been reported since the IDF began its close cooperation with UNIFIL following the withdrawal from Lebanon, and it seems that the Lebanese army is ‘doing the job.’
“We except UNIFIL to encourage the Lebanese army to prevent the gunmen’s movement and dismantle the terror infrastructures,” he said.
On Tuesday the UN issued new rules of
engagement granting the troops in Lebanon the authority to use force against hostile activity of any kind, whether in self-defense, to ensure their area of operations is not used for hostile activities or to resist attempts by force to prevent them from discharging their duties.
“Should the situation present any risk of resumption of hostile activities, UNIFIL rules of engagement allow UN forces to respond as required," UNIFIL said in a statement.
The effective meaning of the decision is that the peacekeepers deployed in Lebanon would be allowed to operate not only in self-defense, but also to thwart Hizbullah attempts to operate in the area or fire rockets at Israel.
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