Barak to Lebanon: We won't tolerate provocations

Defense minister warns Lebanese government following deadly border skirmish

Roni Sofer|Published: 08.03.10 , 19:11

Israeli warning: Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned the Lebanese government Tuesday against "continuing to provoke IDF forces," following the deadly exchanges of fire in the north.

Barak said Israel would not tolerate any attacks on soldiers or citizens "within its sovereign territory" and called on the international community to condemn the "criminal act carried out by the Lebanese army."

Fire in North

Senior IDF commander killed in border skirmish

Hanan Greenberg

Cleared for publication: IDF Lieutenant Colonel Dov Harari killed in border skirmish with Lebanese army Tuesday; another commander seriously wounded

Lethal clash: Senior IDF commander killed in border skirmish

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned Lebanon, saying that it held the Lebanese government "directly accountable for this violent provocation against Israel."

The attack on IDF soldiers Tuesday is a "blatant violation of Security Council Resolution 1701," he said.

Earlier, Israel filed complaint with the UN Security Council over the exchanges of fire with Lebanese forces that left Lieutenant-Colonel (res.) Dov Harari (45) dead.

Israel files UN complaint

In the complaint it lodged, Israel said Lebanese soldiers opened fire despite the fact that the IDF had informed UNIFIL forces in advance of its plan to cut down a tree along the border fence, some 80 meters south of the border.

Speaking at a press briefing earlier Tuesday, Major General Gadi Eisenkot said Israeli troops operating near the border fence encountered a "planned ambush" by Lebanese forces.

"It was a planned ambush by a sniper unit…this was a provocation by the Lebanese army," he said. "We view this fire was a highly grave incident. Our forces responded at once, and immediately after that we resorted to artillery and gunship fire."