Hizbullah launches more attacks in Shebaa Farms
TV cameras send live images of now-daily event Nicholas Blanford
Hizbullah launched further attacks against Israeli outposts in the Shebaa Farms
Tuesday, hours after up to four Katyusha rockets were reportedly fired toward northern
Israel.
The shelling of the Zebdine, Rowsat Qurn, Ramta, Jabal Summaq, Rowsat Allam and Deir
al-Ahmar positions was broadcast live by several television stations as reporters camped
out in and around the frontline village of Kfar Shuba.
Israeli warplanes bombed the outskirts of Kfar Shuba on three separate sorties.
Since the recent escalation began March 30, Hizbullah has staged eight attacks in the
Shebaa Farms, raising the number of operations in the occupied district to 19 since
October 2000.
Israeli troops manning the Shebaa Farms outposts have become accustomed to attacks in the
late afternoon and early evening and take precautions before the mortar rounds begin
falling, say the Israeli media.
A military observer said the “circus” of TV cameras could help turn the
daily clashes into a “harmless routine. But it’s still precarious and someone
could easily upset that routine.”
Three Katyushas were reportedly fired at Kiryat Shemona late Monday night, according to
the Israeli Army. Explosions were heard on both sides of the border when the rockets
struck a field. No casualties or damages were reported. UNIFIL could not confirm that
rockets were launched from Lebanon and said the Israeli Army had not filed its usual
complaint.
Another suspected Katyusha reportedly exploded near the divided village of Ghajar, which
straddles the Blue Line near the Shebaa Farms. The sound of an explosion was heard
but its origin and impact site were unclear.
Assistant Military Prosecutor Maroun Zakhour charged six Palestinians and two Syrians on
Tuesday with forming armed groups, firing rockets and attempting to kill army personnel
with unlicensed weapons. Five of them were arrested last week in the Western Bekaa while
attempting to fire a rocket at the Shebaa Farms.
It remains unclear which faction, if any, the five belong to. Initial reports said they
were members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command. But
the Syrian-based group, which operates under Hizbullah’s supervision in the South,
denied the men were members. A senior military source told The Daily Star last week that
they were “disorganized individuals.” Legal authorities at first said they were
PFLP-GC, then said they belonged to the more moderate PFLP.
The identity of the sixth Palestinian, Mohammed Tawfiq Aliane, was a little clearer.
Aliane is a member of Fatah and loyal to Mounir Moqdah, a senior Fatah officer in the Ain
al-Hilweh refugee camp. Aliane and the two Syrians were charged with perpetrating acts
endangering the country. They were arrested near Tyre on Friday while carrying Katyusha
rocket detonators.
Late Tuesday night, Israeli warplanes staged mock air raids over Tyre and Sidon. Army
gunners responded with a barrage of anti-aircraft fire.
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