Israel Matzav

UNIFIL uncovers launch-ready Katyushas

JPost reports that UNIFIL, which has recently begun operating within villages in southern Lebanon for the first time, uncovered 20 launch-ready Katyusha rockets in that area.

In one recent successful operation in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, UNIFIL peacekeepers uncovered close to 20 Katyusha rockets that were ready for launch.

UNIFIL operates under Security Council Resolution 1701, passed following the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Operations in villages have been a point of contention between UNIFIL and Israel, which said over the past three years that the peacekeeping force was failing to prevent Hizbullah's military buildup in southern Lebanon since it refrained from entering villages.

Hizbullah, the IDF believes, has deployed most of its forces and weaponry - including Katyusha rockets - inside homes in the villages. Until now, UNIFIL and the Lebanese army have mostly operated in open areas.

According to information obtained by Israel, UNIFIL has also succeeded recently in thwarting attacks that were planned against its own personnel.

UNIFIL's increased activity comes amid concerns in Israel that Hizbullah will launch an attack along the northern border to avenge the assassination of the group's military commander Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus last year.

The story goes on to report that Lebanese media reported last night on Israel troops massing at Mount Dov (Shaba Farms) and Mount Hermon and that the IDF refused comment.

What we're likely seeing here is each side testing the other to see if they are going to take action. When the Iranian uprising first started, there was concern here in Israel that Hezbullah and/or Hamas would attack us to distract the world's attention from what is going on in Iran. I believe that hasn't happened because of the number of Hezbullah and Hamas terrorists who have been rushed to Iran to quell the protests. Hezbullah just doesn't have the manpower right now to attack us, and Hamas probably doesn't either.

It's appalling that UNIFIL was not able to enter southern Lebanese villages. I suspect that what has changed is the results of the Lebanese elections and Hezbullah being weakened by them. But for three years, Hezbullah had unrestricted access to people's homes to emplace rockets in them. So much for the Olmert-Livni-Peretz government's 'great triumph' in UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:57 AM