Hizbullah resumes its presence near Israel's border
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, September 26, 2006

TEL AVIV — Israeli military sources said Hizbullah operatives have been allowed by the Lebanese Army to return to the Israeli border. The sources said operatives have established safe houses and organized unrest against the Israeli military.

"The situation could rapidly return to that of before July 12," a military source, referring to the start of the Israeli-Hizbullah war, said.

[On Tuesday, at least three Israelis were injured in Palestinian missile fire from the Gaza Strip. Two missiles landed in and around the Israeli city of Sderot and several people were injured by shrapnel or shock. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack and termed the missile Quds-3, Middle East Newsline reported.]

The Hizbullah operatives have been organizing rock-throwing against Israeli soldiers along the border. The operatives have also planted Hizbullah flags along the Israeli frontier.

Israeli troops have been under orders not to respond to the Hizbullah stone-throwing. Neither United Nations forces nor Lebanese troops have intervened.

On Tuesday, parliamentarian Tsahi Hanegbi, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, appealed to Defense Minister Amir Peretz to stop Hizbullah stone-throwing toward Israelis. Hanegbi warned that such Hizbullah behavior could quickly turn lethal.

A senior Israeli officer said Hizbullah has not renewed military activity against Israel. The officer told a briefing on Monday that the pro-Iranian militia has observed the ceasefire arranged by the UN on Aug. 14.

The return of Hizbullah shattered an Israeli effort to establish a one-kilometer buffer zone along the border. Under the Israeli proposal, only Lebanese troops or UN peace-keepers would be allowed to enter the zone.

Israel still remains in 10 areas of southern Lebanon, the UN said. The last Israeli soldiers were expected to leave Lebanon by Oct. 1.

For his part, Peretz said Israeli troops would withdraw from Lebanon within 10 days. The minister said Israel has sought to clarify the rules of engagement with UN troops.

"I hope very much that during the coming week, at the most a few more days, we will complete the withdrawal," Peretz said after meeting the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday. "There are arrangements, negotiations, deliberations we intend to conclude to set the rules — what is permitted and forbidden — when we redeploy along the Blue Line [border with Lebanon]."

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