Israel Erects Earth Mounds in Wazzani Area Amid Warning Against ‘Calculated Incursion’
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Israeli troops deployed 10 tanks and bulldozers before midnight Monday and began erecting earth mounds at the technical fence in the Wazzani area where they clashed with Lebanese troops the same day.
Media reports said Tuesday that the move led to a state of alert among Lebanese and UNIFIL troops on Army Day.
The 10 Israeli vehicles included three Merkava tanks, they said, adding that the patrols pointed their floodlights at parks on the banks of the Wazzani river.
On Monday morning, the Lebanese and Israeli armies exchanged fire after a Jewish state patrol crossed the U.N.-drawn Blue Line, the Lebanese military said.
Both sides reported no casualties but each blamed the other for the clash.
The Lebanese army command said the incident occurred at around 5:50 am when a 15-member Israeli patrol in the Wazzani area crossed the technical fence and went beyond it about 70 meters.
“Forces stationed in the area confronted it and an exchange of fire occurred,” the communiqué said. The Israeli patrol withdrew from the area at around 7:25 am, it added.
However, an Israeli military spokeswoman told Agence France Presse that an Israeli military force “carrying out a routine patrol within Israeli territory near the Israel-Lebanon border was fired upon from the direction of Lebanon."
Two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and a senior Israeli officer were killed in a rare cross-border clash in Adaisseh in August last year, the worst such violence since the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah.
Involved Lebanese sources told An Nahar daily on Tuesday that the “army confronted the Israeli incursion yesterday as it did in the Adaisseh confrontation to stress Lebanon’s right in having reservations in the area of the violation.”
They said the “calculated incursion” was a message against Lebanon’s attempts to claim its rights over the natural resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone and demarcate its maritime borders.
The sources warned that Lebanon should be ready for a “difficult battle” with the Jewish state.
02 August 2011, 12:00
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Abu al abed mentality does not work in international politics.
This deflagration hurts Lebanon in the Middle of the summer season and discourages anyone who is still considering to come to Lebanon. Abu al abed did it again!
02 August 2011, 14:35
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There is no doubt the Israeli's are pushing the limit, testing the Lebanese and even looking for a fight.
02 August 2011, 15:01
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agreed. they have been for a while now. it seems they are ready to take on hizballah again but dont want to be the ones to throw the first punch. as long as hizballah starts it they will have all the reasons and international support for whatever they want to do.
02 August 2011, 15:19
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Ya, its about time Hizb deploys its super soldiers and high tech weaponary they are so proud of and kidnap a soldier or steal a car. Then we can show the israeli what we're made of while they bomb us back to oblivion again. Even if they bomb every power station, Nasralah will still find a way to power the tvs long enough to make a grand historic speach about himself and brainwash the masses, even if they destroy every bridge and road, Hizb will still be able to send its fighters to murder politicians who resist, kill civilians in beirut, and steal land in jbeil.. Hizb will resist, as long as a single israeli fish crosses into our waters, we will burn our own oil to kill that fish.. gooooo hizb
02 August 2011, 16:21
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Hey! What did that guy say it was a routine patrol in Israeli territory? Didn't he mean a patrol in Israeli occupied territory?
02 August 2011, 16:21
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yeah sure israel is looking for a fight.! a little dumb kidd would laugh at those two comments. we all know who was behind the AADAISEH incident. yet again, we all know the lebanese army is infiltrated by the hizballa terrorists. so spare the bull and brainwashing. have the CAHOONAS to speak the thruth as it is.
02 August 2011, 17:07
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Wow, where are all the Naharnet trolls on this article? When Israel violates Lebanon's sovereignty, we don't hear a word. They're only out there to bash HA, shows how much of the 500 million dollars are invested in these fools (Peace, truth, blue, bashir, shab). Traitors will be wiped out, even when behind screens.
02 August 2011, 18:43
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What happened to my comment re: the routine patrol in Israeli territory really being a patrol in Israeli occupied territory?
