Israeli officials and the situation in south Lebanon
Regional-Israel, Politics, 2/2/2000

Israeli Army Radio said on Tuesday that Israel had decided to resort to self-control concerning the situation in Lebanon and will refrain from attacking Lebanese civilian institutions in the surroundings of the capital, Beirut, following the killing of three of its soldiers on Monday in south Lebanon.

The radio report added that Prime Minister Ehud Barak believes that large-scale revenge reactions may undermine the current negotiation process with Syria, which were resumed in December 1999 following a four-year cessation and then frozen from January 10.

According to the same radio report, Barak, who also occupied the Ministry of Defense, does not intend to launch a large-scale operation like that which took place in June, 1999, according to a decision from the previous rightist government and targeted bridges, roads and the electricity network in Lebanon.

But the radio indicated pressures made by military officials who want a large-scale operation to be launched against Lebanon. The radio report said that Barak opposes such a proposal because of his belief this will result in an escalation in the form of bombardment by Katyusha missiles by the Hizbullah Party against the villages of northern Israel, adding that such a large scale operation may halt the peace process with Syria.

Meanwhile, Barak also does not intend to set a precondition of a complete halting of battles in Lebanon for resuming negotiations with Damascus.

However, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephriam Sneh has asserted, for his part, that the position of the Israeli army not to react immediately does not mean it will not reply in the coming days or weeks.

Sneh added there are no solutions coming as miracles in this war in Lebanon which has been continuing for 15 years. "We have to be calm and patient," he said. He warned against making peace negotiations with Syria in the US at a time when attacks continue against the Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.

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