Israel's Initial Statement About Today's Lebanese Incident

Here is a summary of the briefing given by Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich:

According to the IDF spokesperson, today's incident took place on Israeli territory. There are gaps between border fence and the actual border (the blue line). The IDF was doing routine maintenance work--clearing bushes. In was in precisely such an area that Hezbollah had kidnapped IDF soldiers in the past.

The work that the IDF was doing in the area was all coordinated with UNIFIL.

The exchange of fire was started by a Lebanese sniper--in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701. The IDF retaliated with both artillery and helicopter.

The IDF is now looking into whether this was preplanned.

Hezbollah has been known to influence the Lebanese armed forces.(Michael Totten writes, "Some Lebanese army battalions are more loyal to Hezbollah than they are to their own government") 

Instead of firing at the soldiers involved in cutting the trees, it was the commanders who were observing the situation who were fired at--commanders who were watching from a distance and were not even on the scene of the tree cutting. It is because of that provocation that the IDF response was so strong.

The IDF did not open fire until their soldiers were being shot at and wounded.

After the initial exchange of fire, the IDF was requested to suspend their fire so that the Lebanese could evacuate their wounded. Approximately half an hour after the IDF suspended fire, the Lebanese forces shot an RPG at one of the Israeli tanks. They missed the tank and the tank returned fire.

This is the most serious incident along the northern border since 2006.

Lt Col (Res) Dov Harari was killed.

Technorati Tag: Lebanon.