http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/7_05/hezbollah_e.htm
July 5, 2005
Hezbollah attacks at Har Dov (Shebaa Farms) continue:
On June 29, 2005, the IDF and Hezbollah exchanged fire after an
élite squad of Hezbollah terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory.
Their aim was to gather intelligence information, possibly with the
intent of kidnapping Israeli soldiers. The incident shows that
Hezbollah also continues its policy of attacking Israeli forces at
Har Dov during the post-election period in Lebanon and while the
government was being formed. The attacks are in violation of UN
Security Council resolutions and contrary to the attitude of the
international community.
Weapons belonging to the terrorists who infiltrated Israel at Har
Dov.
The squad had high-tech optical equipment (including cameras,
binoculars, night-vision equipment)
as well as food and drink for a protracted stay in the area.
The June 29th incident
On June 29, 2005, Hezbollah initiated another incident at Har Dov
(the Shebaa Farms, south Lebanon ). It went beyond its policy of
maintaining tension in the area, 1 and was an attempt to justify its
continued existence as an armed organization in Lebanon .
The incident began around noon, when Israel Defense Force soldiers
discovered a three-man squad of Hezbollah terrorists which had
crossed the Blue Line 2 the previous day. In the ensuing gunfire one
Hezbollah terrorist was killed and another wounded.
To cover the terrorists' escape, Hezbollah launched dozens of mortar
shells from Lebanese territory at IDF posts in the Har Dov and Mt.
Hermon sectors. As a result, one Israeli soldier was killed and
three others were wounded.
In response, Israeli planes and helicopters attacked five
Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon . IDF soldiers identified
the squad while it was still on Israeli territory and fired again,
wounding the third terrorist. In the exchange, one IDF soldier was
wounded.
The Hezbollah squad left its equipment behind, including a number of
cameras (video and stills) which they used to photograph the region,
and night-vision devices. In our assessment they planned to gather
information about IDF activity, probably in order to kidnap an IDF
soldier. It should be noted that the entire incident took place on
Israeli territory. The Hezbollah claim that IDF soldiers had crossed
the Blue Line into Lebanon is a complete and utter fabrication . (
See below , an aerial photo of the site of the incident.).
1 Information of prior Hezbollah activities in the Har Dov region
can be found at
http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/2_05/har_dov.htm .
2 The Blue Line is the IDF withdrawal from Lebanon line (2000),
which UN experts have determined by their interpretation of UN
Security Council Resolution 425 of March 1978.
Focal points of activity of the squad within Israeli territory
Mulhim Hassan Salhoub, the Hezbollah terrorist killed at Har Dov
Mulhim Hassan Salhoub, Hezbollah terrorist killed by IDF soldiers
( Al-Manar , July 3, 2005). Picture of Mulhim Hassan
Salhoub, killed in the attack. The photo was found at the site of
the incident.
Mulhim Hassan Salhoub was born in Sidon and moved to the town of
Brital in the Beqa Valley in 1970. He joined Hezbollah in 1984. He
had participated in dozens of attacks on the IDF and the South
Lebanese Army, for which he was commended by Hassan Nasrallah,
Hezbollah's leader ( Radio Nur , July 4, 2005)
The Lebanese response
Hezbollah has not admitted that its terrorists infiltrated Israel .
Al-Manar 3 and Hezbollah spokesmen continue to put forth the false
claim that IDF soldiers crossed the Blue Line and that Hezbollah
(the self-proclaimed defender of Lebanese soil) responded to the
infiltration. Muhammad Ra'ad, chairman of the Hezbollah faction in
the Lebanese parliament, even gave the incident a political slant by
saying that "what happened in the south was part of Israel 's policy
seeking to carry out [UN Security Council] resolution 1559
" ( Radio
Nur , July 1, 2005).
The Lebanese foreign minister, Mahmoud Hamoud , during a meeting
with Geir Pedersen, the UN Secretary General's personal
representative, squirmed every time Hezbollah responsibility for the
incident was mentioned. He stated that "If Hezbollah did in fact
cause the incident, UNIFIL should have informed the Lebanese
authorities about it, but Lebanon found out that the infiltration
came from the Israeli side." However, when asked about his statement
of the previous day, according to which Hezbollah had initiated the
incident, he answered: "I repeated what they said at UNIFIL.
Hezbollah initiated the incident and it was Hezbollah that crossed
the Blue Line and began shooting at the Israeli side" ( Lebanese
News Agency , July 1, 2005).
According to Lebanese commentator Qassem Qasir, who is close to
Hezbollah, the incident gave the organization ammunition to oppose
those who demand it disarm in return for increased involvement in
Lebanese politics. According to Qasir , Israel 's limited response
was the result of its desire to avoid unwanted escalation and
recognition of the so-called "resistance's right" to confront it .
However, he expressed his fear that the incident might lead to an
international demand for the implementation of Resolution 1559
(Lebanese News Agency , July 2, 2005).
3 The Hezbollah satellite TV station, which broadcasts from
Lebanon .
Portraying Hezbollah as "protecting" Lebanon
Hezbollah as " Lebanon 's protector," based on the false claim that
the organization prevented an IDF infiltration into Lebanon : A
Hezbollah public relations broadcast aired a few hours after the
beginning of the firefight at Har Dov. It shows how Hezbollah
protects Lebanon and prevents Israeli soldiers from crossing the
border. Seen is a crow (i.e., Israeli soldier) killed by a trap
after it was caught in a Hezbollah ambush ( Al-Manar , June 29,
2005).
Portraying Hezbollah as "protecting" Lebanon : a cartoon presenting
the "resistance"
(i.e., Hezbollah) as a fist striking Israel ( Sada al-Balad , June
20, 2005)
The UN Security Council's statement
On June 30, 2005, the Security Council deliberated the incident and
released a statement to the media. The Council's statement urged
Lebanon to "exert its monopoly on the use of force" and to put an
end to all "attacks emanating from its territory" ( AP , July 1,
2005). However, the Council did not mention its own Resolution 1559,
which demands, among other things, that the armed militias in
Lebanon (i.e., Hezbollah) be disarmed and disbanded.
Conclusions
Hezbollah continues its occasional attacks against the IDF in the
Har Dov (Shebaa Farms) sector. Its aim is to maintain tension in the
area in an attempt to justify its continued existence as an armed
organization in Lebanon . The timing of the last attack occurred
after the elections and while negotiations were in progress to form
a new government. Those attacks were carried out in direct violation
of UN Security Council Resolutions and contrary to the attitude of
the international community. Such attacks are potentially dangerous
because they may lead to an escalation of violence, although so far
Israel has responded to Hezbollah provocations with restraint. 4
The Lebanese government has avoided implementing UN Security Council
resolutions, among them Resolution 425, which calls for effective
Lebanese sovereignty and control in south Lebanon, and Resolution
1559, which calls for Hezbollah to be disarmed and disbanded.
4 On June 30, the day following the incident, the Israeli Air Force
dropped leaflets containing the message to the Lebanese population
(and government) that Hezbollah was destabilizing the country and
that Israel was liable to act if quiet was not restored along the
border.
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