Dawn : Israel warns of ‘next round’

Israel warns of ‘next round’

August 20, 2006

AL QUDS -- Israel warned on Sunday that it would keep up raids against Hezbollah to prevent the group from getting weapons from abroad and said it would prepare for the ‘next round’ of war.

Israel also said it would not allow the Lebanese army to fully deploy along the volatile Israeli-Lebanese border until the arrival of an international force in the area.

“We need to thwart any attempt to pass weapons from Syria to Hezbollah,” Trade and Industry Minister Eli Yishai said before the weekly cabinet meeting in Al Quds.

“Any such activity needs a counter measure,” he said, referring to a Saturday commando raid by Israeli troops in eastern Lebanon, which Israel said was aimed at preventing alleged arms smuggling to Hezbollah from Syria.

Lebanon and the UN slammed the raid as a violation of the UN-brokered ceasefire which took effect last Monday to end 34 days of warfare, but Israeli officials remained defiant.

“We have not violated UN resolution 1701,” said Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog, a member of the security cabinet.

“The resolution has very clear directives on limiting the transfer of weapons from Syria and Iran into Lebanon. The directives speak of a full embargo. As long as it is not enforced, we have the full right to act against it.”

Defence Minister Amir Peretz said the Jewish state would examine mistakes that it made during the Lebanon war in preparation for the ‘next round’ of war.

“We will examine the issues that have been pointed out as failures,” he told the cabinet meeting. “We will put everything on the table. Our duty is to prepare for the next round,” he said without elaborating.

The Israeli raid near the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek was the first major operation since the UN ceasefire took hold on the ground. An Israeli officer was killed in the raid.

“It is the Lebanese who are to be blamed for allowing the weapons transfer... The one responsible is (Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad) Siniora,” Yishai said.

-- AFP