Region | Palestinian Territories
Hezbollah denies escalating tension
Fears of creating another flash point in the Middle East increased yesterday with heightened tension on the Lebanese-Israeli border, analysts said.
- By Jumana Al Tamimi, GCC & Middle East Editor
- Published: 23:33 May 3, 2009
Dubai: Fears of creating another flash point in the Middle East increased yesterday with heightened tension on the Lebanese-Israeli border, analysts said.
However, Hezbollah officials denied such a target.
"Such attacks lead to war. Government is supposed to be aware of it [in advance]," said Lebanese analyst and columnist Emil Khoury.
Last night, the Lebanese Government said it was not responsible for Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers, and demanded an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after what it called Israel's "aggressive" retaliation.
Officials from Hezbollah, whose fighters launched a cross-border attack, captured two Israeli soldiers and killed and injured several others, denied any intention for escalation.
"Our aim was to capture Israeli soldiers to swap them [with Lebanese prisoners in Israel], and we have no intention for escalation," Hezbollah leader Shaikh Hassan Nasrallah announced in a press conference. "But if the enemy wanted escalation, then we are ready and to extremist limits," he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the capture an "act of war", while his government was preparing to approve a military action in Lebanon, to be the second front Israel opens in the region.
Some three weeks earlier, Israel started a military operation in Gaza to free a soldier captured by Palestinian groups in Gaza Strip. The operation is still going on despite the international criticism.
Olmert said he held the Lebanese Government responsible for the two soldiers' safety, vowing that the Israeli response "will be restrained, but very, very, very painful."
The Israeli military planned to call up thousands of reservists. Residents of Israeli towns on border with Lebanon were ordered to seek cover in underground bomb shelters.
On the other hand, Hezbollah operation's timing is not related to Palestinian-Israeli developments, stressed the group's officials.
"First of all, the timing is related to the field situation of the resistance.
The resistance doesn't act according to political circumstances," said Nawar Al Saheli, a Hezbollah MP in an interview with Gulf News from Beirut.
While announcing the support to Palestinian resistance and people, he ruled out the possibility of any relation between what is happening in Gaza and yesterday's developments.
"We can't correlate this operation [Hezbollah's operation] with what is happening in Gaza... But in both cases, the enemy and the aggressor is the same," he said.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah underestimated the speculations of a widening gap between supporters and opponents to resistance operations at present in Lebanon.
"I wish you were in Lebanon today to see the smiles and cries of joy and all the signs of supporting and solidarity with the resistance," Abdul Al Majeed Ammar, member of Hezbollah politbureau, told Gulf News when asked about the consequences of the operation.
"There is great solidarity, maximum coordination, and popular support for the resistance," he added.
Coordination includes the government and "all parties" to "deal with the situation", he said.
Earlier, analysts noted that Hezbollah's attack has put the government in a "critical situation".
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