No second Arab front against Israel now

Dubai: Within hours of the first Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, top Lebanese political leaders contacted Hezbollah leadership to stress the importance of maintaining security on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The December 27 contacts resulted in an immediate agreement with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah to preserve security. Yet, rockets were fired on Israel twice in the past few days from Lebanon in which Hezbollah denied any involvement. Also other shooting incidents were reported from both Jordan (which denied it later) and Syria, raising concerns that another front might open between Israel and its Arab neighbours, amid deep political divisions on how to deal with the situation in Gaza.

However, military experts exclude the possibility of opening up of another front against Israel now because the "present regional circumstances" won't allow it. "It's no for sure," Lebanese retired Lt Gen. Elias Hanna said.

"There is a confirmation from Hezbollah, and the Lebanese state as well to comply with [UN Security Council] resolution 1701," Hanna added in reference to the resolution which Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.

According to the resolution, Lebanese army was deployed in the South, where already UN troops are monitoring the area. "In order to change an existing situation, you need to have circumstances that uproot what is there and then you apply new rules," Hanna explained to Gulf News. These circumstances do not exist, experts said. Moreover, opening of a new front against Israel is not "a local decision, it has a regional dimension," noted Hanna, in reference to Hezbollah's regional supporters Syria and Iran.

Tehran is considered a staunch supporter of both Hezbollah and Hamas.

On Wednesday, three rockets were fired on Israel from Lebanon, but caused no causalties. Israel retaliated with artillery fire.

Three more booby-trapped rockets were later discovered and defused by Lebanese and UN troops.

On January 8, three rockets were fired on Israel from Lebanon, slightly injuring two Israelis.

The Lebanese government has condemned Wednesday's attack, and insisted it would not allow the Gaza conflict to drag it into a new war with Israel. "Whoever is behind this attack is targeting the national consensus and all parties represented within the government," Information Minister Tarek Mitri was quoted as saying.

Hezbollah said that it remained with the government on avoiding any new fighting. "I don't have any information about who is behind this act," said Labour Minister Mohammad Fneish, who represents Hezbollah in the cabinet.

Egyptian retired Major General Mohammad Mazloum described the shooting from Israel's Arab neighbours as "isolated incidents," carried by individuals who want to express solidarity with the Palestinians who suffer" from the brutal Israeli war on Gaza.

Meanwhile, the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza has shown a deep division among Arabs politically. Even the Arab media, including the leading ones, has been accused by ordinary Arabs, on websites and in chat rooms, as taking sides.

European countries and Turkey have been mediating to reach a ceasefire, while Arab countries have called to hold three summits in less than a week, amid differences on how to handle the situation. Two were confirmed while the third is in doubt.