Israel PM Cites 'Security' after Syria-Lebanon Border Raid

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday Israel was doing all that was "necessary" to ensure its security, following reports of an air raid against Hizbullah targets on the Syrian-Lebanese border.

"We are doing everything that is necessary in order to defend the security of Israel," Netanyahu said at a joint news conference in Jerusalem with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"We will not say what we're doing or what we're not doing" to maintain Israel's security, he said in a cryptic reply to a question on the raid.

On Monday night, "two Israeli raids hit a Hizbullah target on the border of Lebanon and Syria," a Lebanese security source told AFP.

The National News Agency confirmed the report, adding that the raids targeted the countryside of the Lebanese town of Nabi Sheet on the border.

Hizbullah is an arch-enemy of Israel, and has sent thousands of fighters across the border to aid Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime as it battles Sunni-led rebels.

Syria has long provided arms and other aid to Hizbullah, and served as a key conduit of Iranian military aid to the movement, which battled Israel to a bloody stalemate in 2006.

Residents of Nabi Sheet told AFP they saw flares light up the sky ahead of the raids, which shook their houses.

People in neighboring areas said they heard planes flying low and that the target appeared to be a Hizbullah position in the mountains near the town.

Nabi Sheet is a bastion of Hizbullah, and the group has a suspected weapons store and training camp there.

The morning after the attack, the Israeli army refused to comment, but Israel's media implied the Jewish state's air force was behind the strikes.

Israel's top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot ran the front page headline, "Foreign reports: Israeli strike in Lebanon", while referring to strikes Israel implicitly admitted carrying out against Hizbullah in Syria last year.

There was no official comment from Hizbullah, Syria or Lebanon.

Israeli media Tuesday implied the army was responsible for air raids that struck the Hizbullah position, but the military held its silence.

Israel rarely comments on raids against Hizbullah but it has repeatedly warned it will not tolerate the transfer of weapons to the party from its key regional allies Iran and Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the target was a Hizbullah "missile base".

Hizbullah's television, al-Manar, denied that any raid took place, reporting only the "strong presence of enemy planes over the area north of the Bekaa" Valley in eastern Lebanon.

The Israeli military denied to comment on the reports and officials were equally mum.

Local media however suggested Israel was behind the raids.

Other Israeli media pointed to weekend remarks by Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz who warned against arms transfer from Syria to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

"We are monitoring closely the transfer of all types of weapons to all fronts," Gantz was quoted as saying.

"Sometimes, in case of necessity, something can happen," he said in an apparent reference to possible Israeli military intervention.

Gantz also accused Iran of transferring arms.

"There is not one single front where the Iranians are not involved, handing out torches to pyromaniacs, in the form of weapons, missiles or fighters," he said during a tour of the Golan Heights.

Late October, media reported that Israeli warplanes struck a Syrian airbase where missiles for Hizbullah were stockpiled.

At the time a U.S. official confirmed to Agence France Presse an Israeli strike in Syria but did not elaborate.

Comments 45
Missing un520 25 February 2014, 12:45

"handing out torches to pyromaniacs" I like that anecdote...

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 February 2014, 12:52

stick to insults samy, sarcasm is clearly not your cup of tea.

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 13:03

So movaten, is Nasrat not going to shell Haifa or Tel Aviv ?
Too scared ? Khamenei told him Qusayr and Yabrud are more important to liberate jerusalem ? OK...

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 February 2014, 13:53

cedre: your losers react rashly, acting rashly and blowing themselves up when they are unhappy with their goats.

HA doesnt operate like this. israelis can make some hit and run ops in isolated areas, but they cannot step into lebanon anymore, let alone dream of colonizing it. HA will respond when they want, it's not a sectarian hater like you, who dreams of slaughtering shias and alawite every night, who is going to be the reference for them.

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 13:59

movatin, ur beloved khizbkhomeyni keeps its weapon under the pretext they protect Lebanon when they can't protect themselves.
I can't wait for Nasrat next speech.
Here's his mate that was killed, amy he be followed by hundreds more...
https://twitter.com/patrickgaley/status/438272794581692417/photo/1/large

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 February 2014, 14:52

enjoy cedre, i guess you have so little achievement of yourself to be proud about, that you need to cheer israel.
as for your patrick galley, i wonder where he got that info. sounds like bs to me, until confirmed.

Thumb Mystic 25 February 2014, 17:12

Most salafis hates the Shia/Hezbollah and other sects, more than they hate Israel. We have the perfect example here, i'm glad there are still a few palestinians with honor such as PFLP-GC etc. But Hamas are all but traitors and their idealogy is takfirism. The salafis rather want a Wahabi caliphate than freeing Palestine, this is a true fact. Ask them

Thumb geha 25 February 2014, 17:56

Israel is giving the excuse hizbushaitan needs: now (in their mind) they can justify again why the so called resistance is needed :)

well since 2006 this so called resistance has done nothing in spite of several incidents (among which the killing of moughnieh and others) and this terrorist Iranian militia did not shoot a single bullet back at Israel, so nothing qualifies it as a resistance, while their activities in Lebanon and in Syria qualifies them as terrorists.

Thumb Mystic 25 February 2014, 18:24

There will be a new war Geha, both the Resistance and Zionists knows this well. Both are getting ready for a full blown war.

Thumb geha 25 February 2014, 18:46

this farce of resistance is useless and should be disbanded especially as really it represents everything evil on this earth.

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 19:19

'cedre, if salafis have their way, you'd be the first to be killed: they hate europeanized sunnis more than everything.'

prove or let me believe ur a stupid propagandist.
Define as well the concept of europeanized sunnis.
Are EU salafis in KSA killed ? Are non-salafis killed in salafi KSA ? Why does salafi KSA have good relationship and cooperate with non salafi countries, like sufi senegal, ibadi oman, ash3ari morroco ?
Did u just miss an opportuniy not to say a stupid thing ?

Thumb Abubakr 25 February 2014, 13:35

Let both our enemies the zionists and persians destroy each other

Missing peace 25 February 2014, 13:38

for hezbis no bombing from israel occured... good then they won't have to retaliate... difficult for them to liberate syria and jerusalem at the same time.... LOL

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 14:02

Too busy bombing sunni mosques in yabrud
http://youtu.be/wnz1roZIf00

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 February 2014, 14:50

i love the part where we see hezbollah firing that rocket. also the part where the supposedly hit mosque continues the prayer.
you were saying stuff about haram and halal yesterday, isnt it haram to lie in your religion?

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 14:18

Years ago, u were an imperialist for criticizing Iran and Syria.
Then it was zionist.
Now it's takfiri. Just showing ur lack of arguments.
If u had a brain u would know that shias are bigger takfiris ever, what is biggest than takfir of sahabas ?
Ever heard a christian insulting the apostles or a jew the family and friends of Moses ? Au contraire...

Thumb kanaanljdid 25 February 2014, 16:17

Maybe u will be deemed by argumentless people to be an imperialist zionist takfiri working for Klinkistan, the Mossad and the CIA lol

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 14:29

Ya jaheel calling takfiris not sunnis or not muslims make u a takfiri.
What part of it dont u understand ?

However ur khomeynism and taqiya doesn't have anything to do with shiism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVCPUKbvktY

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 14:32

May all ur days be sorrow and mourning ya moujrimin...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/p720x720/1779134_10154015754170727_96386560_n.jpg

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 February 2014, 14:58

and who mourns your nameless, faceless terrorists? even their own families renounce them, refuse to take their bits and pieces, and spit on their graves.

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 16:10

my terrorists ? u're the one cheering terrorists here all day long...

Default-user-icon Hisham (Guest) 25 February 2014, 14:32

Hasan are you going out today from your hole for some fresh air ? As you know the residents of the Galilee cant wait wait to see you ,the prepared for you even coffee, but you are disapointing them ,chou nater hassouna ? Or may be you are getting too old ya ta3ban ??? I suggest you should take one way trip to teheran and stay there ,raw7a bala raj3a

Missing peace 25 February 2014, 14:51

it would be interesting to hear from the hezbi lovers here why hezbollah denies that anything happened yesterday....

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 February 2014, 14:58

it would be interesting to hear where you heard a denial.

Missing peace 25 February 2014, 15:41

just have a look at elmanar: nowhere are they talking about it... just like they try to hide the news...

stop twisting facts mooowaten

Missing peace 25 February 2014, 15:42

but thx for not answering the question, it says a lot....

Missing peace 25 February 2014, 15:47

in case you forgot the link : http://www.almanar.com.lb/

nothing about this raid... meaning they are hiding it and are embarassed to talk about it or it never happened.... LOL

Missing peace 25 February 2014, 16:50

Just look at the homepage... where do you see that elmanar focuses on this raid? as if nothing happened... like i said, they want to minimze or even avoid talking about it...

guess why? LOL

Thumb beiruti 25 February 2014, 15:27

When Syrian fighter jets, with impunity, can strike on Lebanese sovereign territory and suffer no sanction, why should the Israelis refrain? Syria has interests, Israel has interests. But what of the interests of the Lebanese to preserve and protect their sovereignty???

When Hezbollah preaches that its okay for Syria to engage in attacks against "tikfiri" wherever they find them, even in Lebanon, is this not giving everyone else, especially Israel, a card blanche to do the same thing with regard to their perceived enemies found in Lebanon?

Thumb beiruti 25 February 2014, 15:27

This is why Lebanon must have a non-interference policy with regard to Syria. If for no other reason than to deny Israel pretext to engage in violations of Lebanese sovereignty.

Thumb thepatriot 25 February 2014, 15:48

No southy! Hezb has only a political role to play now. No more weapons, provocations, wars, and pathetic excuses for a so called resistance...

Thumb kanaanljdid 25 February 2014, 16:14

So sad he hasn't killed before, indeed

Thumb kanaanljdid 25 February 2014, 16:14

been killed I meant (he killed a lot I am sure, and certainly innocents civilians)

Thumb cedre 25 February 2014, 16:14

they have to, if wali al faqi said so...

Missing phillipo 25 February 2014, 16:20

One of these days, the world, including Lebanon, will wake up and thank Israel for its lifesaving efforts.

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 February 2014, 17:07

israelis thanking themselves. lol thank god ridicule doesnt kill, or we'd have another holocaust on our hands.

Thumb geha 25 February 2014, 18:48

Zionists and Iranians are not welcome in Lebanon.

Thumb popeye 25 February 2014, 16:48

He always preaches good manners) but obviously he does not apply his preachings!

Missing peace 25 February 2014, 16:52

don't worry thefact: hezbi will always find a good lie to keep their weapons... they are the most hypocrit people in Lebanon....

Thumb amatoury114 25 February 2014, 17:07

Popey you didn't not welcome the roar back...come on man he came baack from retirement

Thumb amatoury114 25 February 2014, 17:08

Did bassilo finish taking photos with all the ambassadors?

Missing youssefhaddad 25 February 2014, 17:54

Lebanon could have been out of this mess a long time ago. Regretfully, some Lebanese blinded by empty sectarian posturing insisted on staying in the line of fire.
For whom and for what does the Lebanese blood continue to be spilled.

Thumb geha 25 February 2014, 18:08

and who are you exactly to label people as takfiris southern?
you are just a stupid boy who understands nothing as denoted by all your posts.

Thumb shab 25 February 2014, 22:01

Anything against the filthy miitia is fine. More please

Thumb Loubnani 25 February 2014, 23:31

Reading through your comments all I hear is the Sunnis calling the Shiia takfiris or the Shiia calling the Sunnis takfiris! What is wrong with you people? Surely not all Sunnis are takfiris and not all Shiia are takfiris. None of you can deny that takfiris exist in both sects.
If this is all you talk about on a forum I don't even want to know what happens in your real lives. Are you guys obsessed or something?
And please could you both please stop using the oppressed card. It is getting boring. In Lebanon it seems every few decades a different sect starts perceiving itself as oppressed. The Christians had a go then the Shiias and now the Sunnis. To be honest with you the whole bloody country is oppressed by your ridiculous sectarian ideologies. For once, please for once, be Lebanese only.