Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Israel presses Syria to curb Hizbollah guns

Shlomi Afriat Reuters
Wednesday 10 April 1996 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

SHLOMI AFRIAT

Reuters

Kiryat Shmona - An Israeli minister said Syria must suppress operations by Hizbollah gunners after they pounded an Israeli outpost in south Lebanon yesterday, killing one soldier.

The Israeli army said that two other soldiers were wounded in the attack in which dozens of mortar bombs rocked their post in the Jewish state's self-declared security zone in south Lebanon.

Israeli forces and pro-Israeli militia units wounded one man in retaliatory shelling of four guerrilla-held villages in south Lebanon, Lebanese security sources said.

The deputy Defence Minister, Ori Orr, said Syria must clamp down on Hizbollah guerrillas if Damascus wanted to continue unfettered in its role as Lebanon's chief power broker.

"Syria must understand that if it wants to keep on conducting an orderly way of life in Lebanon, it cannot allow Hizbollah to work freely, as it's working today," Mr Orr said, in a reference to the estimated 35,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon.

The shelling followed a rocket barrage by Iranian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas which injured 36 people in northern Israel on Tuesday.

Angry Israelis in the hard-hit town of Kiryat Shmona held demonstrations beseeching the government to retaliate. But Mr Orr said Israel would resist pressure to launch a high-profile onslaught against Hizbollah, which has fought for years to drive Israel from the buffer zone.

"It is unacceptable to me when I hear the reporters and everyone inciting the government for a military operation," he said, adding that he detected "the smell of elections in the air" among backers of massive retaliation.

Prime Minister Shimon Peres, facing general elections on 29 May, is trying to project a tough-guy image in security-obsessed Israel, while refraining from further hobbling the fragile Middle East peace process that is the cornerstone of his career.

Mr Peres has accused Iran of trying to bring down his government to foil the Arab-Israeli peace negotiations, already badly mauled by Moslem Hamas suicide bombings in which 58 people have been killed in the Jewish state.

"This is not the place to go into details of activity against the Syrians or the Iranians or the government of Lebanon," Mr Orr told Israel television. "But Iran arms, trains, finances [Hizbollah], Syria could prevent Hizbollah activity, and doesn't do it, the Lebanese government shows no responsibility for its citizens in south Lebanon - we must carry out activity with wisdom such that all the parties will recognise their responsibility."

Ehud Yaari, a commentator for the state-run television, noted that Israel had departed from past form in not appealing to its main ally, Washington, to calm the situation. "There is a sense that the United States is now clearing the path to allow Israel to use means it has not yet used," he said.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in