Govt. Calls for Avoiding 'All-Out Confrontation' with Israel, Raises ISF Personnel to 35K
The government on Thursday called for avoiding a full-blown war with Israel, a day after a Hizbullah operation killed two Israeli soldiers in the occupied Shebaa Farms, as it agreed to increase the number of the Internal Security Forces' personnel after managing to find a “middle-ground solution.”
“The cabinet discussed the situations in the South and some ministers expressed their stances in a calm debate during which all parties showed keenness on avoiding a deterioration,” Information Minister Ramzi Jreij announced after a cabinet session at the Grand Serail.
The cabinet condemned the Israeli attacks against some southern towns in the wake of the operation in Shebaa, urging the U.N. to “shoulder its responsibilities in preventing attempts to jeopardize peace in this region,” Jreij said.
The council of ministers called for “depriving the Israeli enemy of the chance to drag Lebanon into an all-out confrontation that would threaten the entire region,” stressing its commitment to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and the U.N. forces' role in southern Lebanon.
It also offered condolences over the death of a Spanish UNIFIL peacekeeper who was killed by Israeli retaliatory shelling after Hizbullah's operation.
The cabinet underlined that “confronting any aggression must occur through the unity and solidarity of the Lebanese before anything else,” Jreij added.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in Hizbullah's attack. The group announced that its “Quneitra Martyrs Group” targeted an Israeli military convoy in the Shebaa Farms.
The operation comes in response to a Jan. 18 Israeli air raid on a Hizbullah convoy in Syria's Quneitra which killed six Hizbullah fighters, including prominent militants, and a top Iranian general.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned after Wednesday's operation that "those behind today's attack will pay the full price."
He also warned that "the government of Lebanon and the Assad regime share responsibility for the consequences of attacks originating in their territory against the state of Israel."
Separately, Jreij said the cabinet approved a decree “raising the number of the ISF personnel from 29,995 to 35,000.”
OTV said the government agreed to increase the number to 35,000 as a “middle-ground solution.”
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, the cabinet was supposed to discuss the recruitment of around 11,000 new ISF members and its financial cost, amid reservations expressed by the March 8 alliance.
The daily said the thorny issue was included on the agenda of the government after an agreement between the rival parties to fortify the number of security members while taking into consideration the sectarian balance.
Al-Joumhouria reported that the March 8 coalition expressed reservations over increasing the members of ISF from 29,000 to 40,000.
The alliance had argued that recruiting new members would pose a serious financial challenge, while considering it an attempt to “create a new army.”
The matter was first mentioned during the tenure of ex-ISF chief and current Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi after recruiting 4,000 new members.
Kataeb party sources told al-Joumhouria that its ministers would voice their support to the move during Thursday's session, taking into consideration the security challenges.
The conflict in Syria has regularly spilled over into Lebanon, with the border region often particularly volatile.
As for the presidential vacuum, Prime Minister Tammam Salam reiterated his call for the election of a new president, noting that the parliament held the 18th electoral session yesterday amid a lack of quorum and “hoping the election will take place as soon as possible.”
During the session, Salam also tackled the death of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, describing him as “Lebanon's friend, who was a symbol for patriotism and moderation.”
“The government wished success for the new king in performing his missions,” Jreij said.
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