Fighting on Lebanon - Israel borders
Lebanon-Israel, Military, 11/22/2005

The border area between Lebanon and Israel on Monday witnessed huge military escalation after a state of relative calm that lasted for more than 5 years after the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000.

While the Israeli army said that the escalation started with an attack launched by Hizbullah fighters at Israeli military positions in Shabaa Farms areas, Hizbullah stressed its fighters intercepted an incursion by an Israel vehicle into the area.

In a statement, Hizbullah said that "an armored Israeli vehicle composed of two patrols ( Hummer type) incurred into the Lebanese part of al-Ghajar town and was intercepted by Hamas and had strong confrontations with it resulted in destroying the two vehicles and the killing or wounding of scores in the lines of the Israeli enemy side." The statement confirmed that three members of the Hizbullah party were killed in the confrontations, noting that its fighters targeted after that Israeli positions in Shabaa Farms., al-Radar, Rweiset al-Alam Rweiset al- Qarn, al-Sammaqa, al-Ramtha and Zibdin achieving several casualties among killed and wounded in the lines of the Israelis.

Israeli military sources said that one soldier was killed and other ten military and civilian men were killed as a result of confrontations which included the launching of mortar shells by Hizbullah fighters in Kreyat Shimona and al-Metallah border towns with Lebanon.

Al-Jazeera satellite tv in Beirut said that the bombardment resulted in burning 6 Israeli vehicles.

The Israeli deputy defense minister Zaef Bweim considered that its is most certain that Hizbullah launched the attack in order alleviate the international pressure on Syria over the murder of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, as he alleged.

Bweim told the Israeli army radio on Monday that the attacks were also a message to Beirut and to those who think they can deprive Hizbullah from its weapons, saying that Hizbullah is live and attacks Israel.

Previous Stories:
  US deplores Hizbullah attacks, tension in South Lebanon   (11/22/2005)
  Explosions in Shabaa Farms area   (11/4/2005)
  Israeli raid on south Lebanon   (10/31/2005)
  Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese Airspace   (10/24/2005)
  Lebanese president calls for facing foreign plots   (10/20/2005)
  Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese air-space   (7/25/2005)

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