Discovery of five Katyusha rockets near Naqoura raise tensions
Five Katyusha rockets were discovered near Naqoura late Wednesday, hours after Israeli military officials said they believed Hizbullah had anti-aircraft capabilities that could threaten jets illegally violating Lebanese airspace. UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said the rockets were found in the area of Wadi Hamoul, 5 kilometers from Naqoura. "In the immediate vicinity was a launching pad and electrical wires. The area was cordoned off," she said, adding that the UN force was investigating alongside the Lebanese Army.
The rockets are not believed to have been set for firing, but their discovery will cause concern at a time of heightened tensions on Lebanon”s border with Israel following the Jewish state”s military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel is also becoming increasingly concerned about Hizbullah”s weapons capabilities, which it insists have developed drastically since the devastating July War between the two sides in 2006.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli military intelligence officials said they believed that Syria had allowed the delivery of anti-aircraft missiles to Hizbullah that could threaten their air-force.
The Israeli Air Force conducts regular overflights of southern Lebanon. On Tuesday Israeli planes reportedly broke the sound barrier while conducting mock air raids over the area of Iqlim al-Tuffah.
The overflights represent a violation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the summer war of 2006. Israel says the flights are essential for military reconnaissance, but the United Nations has called for their immediate cessation.
On a visit to northern Israel earlier this week, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that the transfer of anti-aircraft weapons from Syria to Hizbullah "could force Israel to act."
The Jewish state is also worried about the possibility of Hizbullah launching an attack in revenge for the killing of the group”s military commander Imad Mughniyeh. Israeli troops stationed on the northern border have reportedly stepped up their alert level in response to the concerns.
The Hizbullah military chief was killed by a bomb hidden in the head-rest of his car in Damascus on February 12 last year.
Hizbullah blames Israel for the assassination, although there has been no official confirmation that the Jewish state was behind his death.
Last week Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah reiterated a promise to avenge Mughniyeh”s death. "The decision to respond to the killing is still on. We decide the time and the place," he said.
Nasrallah”s comments prompted Israel”s counter-terrorism bureau to warn that Hizbullah may be planning to try to abduct or kill Israeli officials. It also warned against attacks on Israeli citizens that could be carried out abroad.
Barak warned earlier this week that any Hizbullah attack would provoke a "painful" response. "I don”t recommend that Hizbullah test us," he warned, adding that Israel would hold the Lebanese government responsible for any attack.
"Hizbullah is not just a terrorist organization running around the hills but also sits at the Cabinet table in Beirut," Barak said. "Therefore, the Lebanese government bears overall responsibility and any attempt to attack Israel will be met with a response."
In recent months Israeli military sources have given a series of briefings warning that in any future war with Hizbullah, the entire Lebanese state would be considered a valid target.
Last month, while Israel was fighting in Gaza, Lebanon-based guerrillas twice fired Katyusha rockets across the border, prompting an artillery response from Israel on both occasions. The attacks were blamed on Palestinian militant groups rather than Hizbullah, and no one was killed in the exchange of fire.