Israel Determined on Ending Arms Smuggling to Hizbullah
Israel has warned it intended to put an end to the arms smuggling into Lebanon amid fears that Hizbullah was obtaining anti-aircraft missiles that would "violate the strategic balance" in the Middle East.
"Israel will not acquiesce to the continued smuggling of arms," Haaretz daily quoted the Israeli security cabinet as saying after meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday.
Haaretz said that the officials were updated on alleged Syrian transfers of advanced military hardware to Hizbullah, "including air defense systems, in an effort to limit the freedom of operations of the Israeli air force in Lebanon."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were alerted about the possibility of Syrian transfer to Hizbullah of more sophisticated weaponry.
The cabinet said that the transfer of advanced weapons systems into Lebanon must be stopped, according to Haaretz.
Intelligence officials stressed during the meeting that the Jewish state had the ability to deter any Hizbullah attack, adding that the Shiite group and Damascus were concerned "that any provocation would result in a severe Israeli response."
Haaretz said that Israel has been recently urging several world leaders, foreign ministers and U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to make efforts to stop arms smuggling into Lebanon via Syria.
"Intensive diplomatic efforts were made to prevent the transfer of the arms from Syria to Hizbullah, including “quiet” messages to a number of governments and to the U.N.," the daily said.
Israel has warned that any transfer of anti-aircraft missiles would be perceived in Jerusalem as "a violation of the strategic balance" in the region.
Haaretz said that several world diplomats have already conveyed to Syria the Israeli warnings against the weapons transfers.