Posted on 07/13/2006 3:42:04 AM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Israel says its naval ships are in Lebanon's territorial waters to enforce a blockade after Hezbollah guerrillas captured two soldiers yesterday in a border clash.
"Since this morning, Israeli naval vessels have enforced a full naval closure on Lebanon because Lebanon's ports are used to transfer both terrorists and weapons to the terror organisations operating in Lebanon," a military spokesman said.
Israeli planes earlier attacked Beirut's international airport and other sites in southern Lebanon, killing at least 27 people.
An Israeli Defence Forces spokesman, Captain Jacob deLal, says the airport was used to transfer weapons and supplies to Hezbollah.
"We're targeting Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and other outposts and other offices and various parts of their infrastructure," he said.
"They get planeloads of weapons and rockets from Syria and from Iran.
"This is known to everyone, it's been going on for years."
Israel's Army Radio says other airports in Lebanon could be targeted too.
Israeli Cabinet Minister Isaac Herzog says the aim is to put pressure on the Lebanese Government to act against Hezbollah, which seized the soldiers and killed seven others in an attack yesterday.
"We will take all necessary measures to bring an end to the rogue behaviour of a state that does not assume responsibility and put an end to the activities of a major partner in their own government," he said.
The Lebanese Government has said it is not responsible.
Rocket attacks
Hezbollah militants have retaliated by firing rockets at homes and apartment buildings in north Israel, killing one Israeli civilian and wounded at least 21.
An ambulance service says a 40-year-old woman was killed when a rocket hit her house in the city of Nahariya.
The Israeli Army says it is unclear how many Katyusha rockets hit the coastal city, five kilometres south of the border, but Hezbollah says it has fired 60 rockets at Nahariya.
The Army says rockets and mortar bombs have also struck at least seven other communities in northern Israel.
A resident in one building that was hit, Maya Nir, told Israeli television: "I had made a cup of coffee ... and was heading toward the staircase when I heard three massive booms".
"My husband hit the floor with our child, then we just fled."
Officials say one projectile has damaged an Israeli airforce base near Mount Meron.
Travel warning
The Australian embassy in Beirut has been temporarily closed because of the escalating violence.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is also advising Australians not to travel to Lebanon
People concerned about relatives in the area are being advised to contact them directly or phone 1300 555 135.
The violence is the worst between Israel and Lebanon since 1996, when Israeli troops still occupied part of south Lebanon.
The Israeli army pulled out of the area in 2000, 22 years after it moved in to fight Palestinian guerrillas who controlled a border strip.
Militarily Hizaballah is not stronger than the Lebanese army. However the fear is that the Shia elements of the army, Hizballah is a shia militia, will have their loyalty more for Hizballah than the Lebanese government and hence they will either not fight or even worse they will side with Hizballah and fight the remaining part of the Lebanese army.
If what you are saying is true it appears to me like the smart thing for the Lenanese to do would be to join with the Israeli's and kick these assholes out right now.
It may be tougher for the Lebanese to do as you are suggesting since Hizballah will use terrorism tactis like car bombs, suicide missions, kidnapping, and kill at lot of innocent civilians in Lebanon. The Lebanese need to make some more sacrifices and get rid of this cancer of Islamic terrorism called Hizballah.
Enforcing the border with Syria is going to be very interesting.
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