Israel Warns of Harsh Strike against Hizbullah, Accuses it of Using Civilians as Human Shields
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Israel warned of a new conflict with Hizbullah, vowing to strike the party's strongholds which could result in a large number of civilian casualties.
“The civilians are living in a military compound,” The New York Times quoted a senior Israeli military official as saying.
The official, who spoke at military headquarters in Tel Aviv on the condition of anonymity, stressed that the Jewish State “will hit Hizbullah hard, while making every effort to limit civilian casualties as much as we can.”
The official stressed that Israel doesn't “intend to stand by helplessly in the face of rocket attacks.”
The newspaper reported that Hizbullah is allegedly building up its firepower since 2006, revealing that maps and aerial photography obtained from Israeli military officials indicate that the party has moved most of its military infrastructure into the Shiite villages of southern Lebanon and around their perimeters.
Israeli officials continuously accused Hizbullah of using the civilians as a human shield.
“Israelis are blunt about the implications: They will not hesitate to strike at those targets, so southern Lebanon will most likely be the scene of widespread destruction,” the NY Times said.
The Lebanese civilians casualties “should not be considered Israel’s fault,” officials told the newspaper.
The Israeli military had recently identified about 400 military sites and facilities belonging to Hizbullah.
“We already made it clear in 2006 that people in the villages do not have immunity if we have intelligence that they intend to fire at Israel,” Amos Yadlin, who was Israel’s chief of military intelligence from 2006 to 2010 and is now the director of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, said.
The daily quoted an Israeli military expert as saying that the attack will be in three phases.
“First, it would strike without warning at targets that pose the greatest threat, then it would call for civilians to evacuate southern Lebanon to facilitate ground troops to move in.”
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon warned on Tuesday that his country will not engage in any militarily confrontation with any state in the region unless the red lines were crossed, in particular in the Golan Heights, which is partly occupied by Israel, or if certain arms were transferred to Lebanon.
Israel fought a devastating 33-day war against Hizbullah in 2006 that cost the lives of 1,200 people in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
H.K.
G.K.
13 May 2015, 09:13
169
yeah blah blah blah.... Only yesterday the Israelis said Hamas is a necessity for peace in Gaza. Soon, they will say hezbollah is a necessity for peace in Lebanon. Let's not forget nasrallah's message to the Israelis: " The southern front is the safest place in the world, and let's keep it that way".
13 May 2015, 10:06
146
If that quote truly belongs to Nasrallah, then it demonstrates how mad this man is! Has this guy ever been to a country that lives in peace with their neigbours? There are plenty of those, you know..
13 May 2015, 10:06
148
Ebola is not afraid, they have the caporal who advises them on the strategy to use...
13 May 2015, 10:14
714
Yes, they should bring it on. Then the world can see how the Resistance fights takfiris and zionists on two fronts.
Then we will still see you takfiris, say that the resistance and israel works together right?
13 May 2015, 10:49
125
Ebola a resistance? Resistance to what? Resistance to create a beautiful country where all can live together.
13 May 2015, 12:22
28
Seems the Israelis are already making excuses for the next round. Hope Hizb doesn't fall into the trap and go on another unsanctioned adventure.
13 May 2015, 12:43
611
Nobody is falling into any trap. If Israel invades, the Resistance will retaliate, simple as that.
13 May 2015, 13:16
115
Aoun: "Hezbollah is collaborating with Israel to legitimize Israel's use of destructive force [against Lebanon]"
-An-Nahar 4 February 2002
Aoun: "The resistance [Hezbollah] is prolonging the [Israeli] occupation"
Al-Liwa', July 2002
Aoun: "How does Hasan Nasrallah say that those who are with 1559 are worse enemies than the Israelis? This is sectarian incitement. They [Hezbollah] are using the people as cattle controlled by financial dependence and fear, then they talk to us about democracy."
An-Nahar, 29 November 2004
13 May 2015, 13:17
104
After the Israeli withdrawal, legitimacy for Hezbollah' military operations dissipated. Meanwhile, since then, it created a crisis on national and international levels. This status put Lebanon in a confrontation with the international law, while at the same time exerted a threat to the national unity as it indicates that one group Monopolizes Lebanon's national decision making process."
Excerpt from General Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement Party Parliamentary 2005 electoral platform, "Annex number one, Hezbollah's issue
13 May 2015, 14:09
47
Now that is very typical, just a moment ago you wrote Israel and Hezb worked together, now you write it will bring destruction to Lebanon if they retaliate. Now that is the perfect definition of M14 cowards to date.
13 May 2015, 16:36
11
yes they work together..israel needs hezbollah to get funds from the USA for its army and justify its expenses for its citizens and hezbollah needs an enemy to justify its weapons... it's a win-win situation between both! LOLLLL
ya israeli friend anta....
13 May 2015, 16:07
34
Resistance ? Which resistance ? Resistance to constructing a beautiful country where all can live together!!!
13 May 2015, 16:10
22
Resistance ? Which resistance ? Resistance to constructing a beautiful country where all can live together!!!
13 May 2015, 16:51
01
A close observation of Nassrallah's behavior for the last 9 years shows that he is a lot more prudent than his followers are. He has been hiding while posturing and threatening while his supporters are happy to see that their homes and villages were turned into targettable military centers.
According to some of the posts here many are still suicidally excitable while their inciter and his aids always find a way to hide when the going gets tough and then claim victory over the dead bodies and the rubble.
