Israel Targets PFLP-GC Position in Naameh after Rocket Attack
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Israeli air force struck a Palestinian group in Lebanon on Friday, officials said, hours after a different organization said it fired four rockets at the Jewish state from Lebanon.
Israeli aircraft "targeted a terror site located between Beirut and Sidon in response to a barrage of four rockets launched at northern Israel yesterday (Thursday)," the military said.
"The pilots reported direct hits to the target."
The state-run National News Agency said the target was a position of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC), a hardline but secular militant group which said it had nothing to do with Thursday's rocket fire.
A communique issued later by the army command said that an “Israeli warplane violated at 4:00 a.m. Lebanon's airspace and targeted an area in Naameh that contained one of the Palestinian organizations were stationed in it.”
“The rocket attack caused a five meter crater but didn't cause any human losses or material damage,” the statement pointed out.
The army took the necessary defense measures.
The salvo of four rockets, which caused damage but no casualties, was claimed by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades -- an al-Qaida-linked group which claimed similar rocket fire on Israel in 2009 and 2011.
Israeli army spokesman Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai said on Thursday that the rockets were "launched by the global jihad terror organization" -- an apparent reference to al-Qaida.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened retaliation. "Anyone who harms us, or tries to harm us, should know -- we will strike them," he said on Thursday.
Two of the four rockets fired from Lebanon on Thursday hit populated areas of northern Israel, causing damage but no casualties.
One struck in Gesher Haziv, a kibbutz east of the Mediterranean coastal town of Nahariya, Agence France Presse correspondents reported. Another hit Shavie Zion, a village between Nahariya and Acre, further south, Israeli media said.
A third rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system, the army said. The fourth apparently struck outside Israel.
Thursday's attack was the first of its kind since November 2011, when the same Palestinian jihadist group fired a volley of rockets from southern Lebanon at Israel. That fire too provoked retaliation by the Israeli military.
Defense sources said that the PFLP-GC base hit was in the Naameh valley. The Palestinian group has a number of heavily fortified positions in Lebanon.
Headed by Ahmed Jibril, the group is known for close ties with the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad.
PFLP-GC spokesman Ramez Mustapha denied any link between his group and the rockets fired at Israel on Thursday.
In its Friday statement, the Israeli army again said it "holds the Lebanese government accountable for the attack".
On Thursday, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman described the rocket fire as a violation of U.N. resolutions and of Lebanese sovereignty, and urged security forces to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
23 August 2013, 07:34
65
I am sorry to have to say this, but Israels response was totally expected and warranted. As usual though they made sure that there were no civilian casualties.
It is about time that the Government of Lebanon took responsibility for all that happens on Lebanese territory, and makes certain that terrorist groups such as Abdullah Azzam Brigades do not dictate to the Lebanese Armed Forces as to who is the master on the ground.
One of these days one of these terrorist groups will will push the marker too far, for example by killing Israeli civilians, and then the LAF will have a big problem on their hands when Israel retaliates.
So the soon the Army takes control, the better it will be for Lebanon.
23 August 2013, 08:19
32
I agree with both of you Phillippo and anonymetexasusa. However, Allow me to ask. Who controls your house and will be responsible for what happens in your house? It you don't control your own house, who should it be? If you don't control your own home and take responsibility for your home, I suggest its because of fear. Who should have to live in fear in their own homes, NO FEAR! I say the Lebanese citizens via the LAF deal with these criminals/terrorists group at once and be prepared to pay the price for taking control of the Lebanese House.
23 August 2013, 08:20
27
Texas. You completely nailed him. He cannot begin to understand the quantity of evil that Israel has caused to lebanon
23 August 2013, 08:29
34
@anonymetexasusa
It is true that the Lebanese army was prevented from getting weapons due to Israeli pressure. This is not a reason to justify the presence of armed gangs who are in Lebanon and operate freely. Our army should have the political power to stop these armed gangs and prevent them from using Lebanon to attack Israel. We all know that Israel will retaliate notwithstanding the fact that at the end of the day Lebanon will be harmed more.
besides don't you think that these attacks on Israel are simply done to drag Lebanon into a quagmire?
23 August 2013, 08:42
43
Don't you think that if the Lebanese Army had put its foot down and attacked Hizballah when it had the chance, they would have been able to put their hands on enough weapons to supply an army 3 times the size of Lebanons.
When other countries in years gone by embargoed arms shipments to Israel, they established their own Military and Aviation Industries in order to supply their own needs. They built their own fast patrol boats, their own tanks, so why couldn't Lebanon have done the same.
23 August 2013, 09:06
16
Phil, one of the reasons that we can't build our own defense industry like Israel did is because we can't afford it. Israel receives 3 billion dollars annually in military grants and that facilitates things a bit. Then there is one fundamental difference between Lebanon and Israel: The Israeli people are united around a clear vision; this enables the country to think long term. The Lebanese can't even agree on the very identity of their country. The result ... well see for yourself.
23 August 2013, 09:38
33
Jabal, that's exactly the point. That explains by the way why there is so much hatred directed against Israelis among Lebanese (while most of us in Lebanon never ever met even one of them), because Lebanese are in perpetual need of an external ennemy to bring Lebanese together, because nothing else bring them together, sadly.
If Lebanese were united for peace and for a secular State, it could work. But the way it is now, it can't.
23 August 2013, 09:28
34
Texas, it is more a matter of political will. The Lebanese doesn't want to assume an independant State with one sole army. If Israel succeeded in lobbying these countries not to provide Lebanon with these weapons, it's because these countries could be convinced that these weapons could end into Hizb hands. As you know, all the other countries in the region have these kind of weapons. So Lebanon is to blame to allow such militias to be on its soil. Let's declare frankly Hizbullah as Lebanon ennemy, and all the world -including Israel- will support the Lebanese STATE in getting weapons against them.
23 August 2013, 09:30
34
Moreover, if Israel is the problem, there is a very simple way to end this problem, as Jordan or Egypt did: a peace treaty, or at least a treaty stating the end of the war between the two countries.
Did you hear about Israeli sovereignty violations in Jordan or Egypt since the peace treaties?
23 August 2013, 11:56
31
Well said. @LEO, how can you be in control, when you are not allowed to arm yourself.
23 August 2013, 09:02
33
@philippo
You are assuming here that our army and government are as dedicated as efficient as the Israelis. Unfortunately we're not. For the last 30 years or more the series of events that caused the destruction of Lebanon are the result of poor and corrupt policies undertaken by our successive governments. As a result of such, we are continuing to sink slowly and surely into the abyss.
Poor Lebanon and Poor Lebanese
23 August 2013, 09:12
46
philippo
Another point I would like to make:
Although I am by no means a Hizballah supporter but this organization thus its creation is also the direct result of our government, army and society who have neglected for years Southern Lebanon thus neglecting the chiites who were constantly under fire be it by The PLO or Israel. I remember the days prior to our civil war when Israel was bombarding daily the south and what was the reaction specially from Beirut? I quote: oh its the south, no big deal its like the South was not a part of Lebanon.
So HA strength is the direct result of neglect of the people of the south from our central government and society
Now live with it....
23 August 2013, 10:37
24
1. Abdullah bin azzam is a lebanese jihadist group/faction with a fishy agenda probably set up by intel services. 2. I cant tell what sucks more, listening to depressing news or reading the online propagandists for israel doing their mission every time something is written about their current golden calph israel. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3744516,00.html
23 August 2013, 11:51
24
@Southern
I fully agree with you. We all know Israel's goal is simply to annihilate Lebanon. They are jealous of us as in peace our country will prosper again. So as you said the rockets launched from Lebanon are toys and they are pale considering the force of Israel's reprisals against Lebanon. Consequently any rocket launched from Lebanon will only cause superior damage and destruction in Lebanon
23 August 2013, 16:47
42
THANK YOU ISRAEL, to have bombed only those pro-bashar fake palestinians thugs.
PFLP is the main responsible for black september and were part of the civil war. It killed hundred of palestinians in yarmuk camp in damascus. Killed as well christian civilians in Lebanon, giving bad reputation to all palestinians.
Poor Arafat did make the mistake to deal with these thugs not to divide the palestinian camp...
23 August 2013, 21:22
03
I hate these palestinian bases in lebanon--all of them should be disarmed. there is no other country which allows them to be armed to this extent.
23 August 2013, 23:27
03
I would go further with the Palestinians Refugee Camps , dismantle all of them & set up camps all along the Israeli border , let the responsibility be on them & the UN . Get rid of of them , the whole lot even the Syrian Refugees to the Golan Heights ! The Israeli created this nightmare upon our Land now is the time to take action & force them back into the West Bank & Golan Heights for the Syrians whether Israel likes it or not ! 2 million Refugees in Lebanon , it is a ticking time bomb .
Signed Wolf !!!!
