Israeli official says Israel would strike Beirut if army fails to disarm Hezbollah
A senior Israeli military official has warned that Israel would attack targets in Beirut if the Lebanese army fails to disarm Hezbollah.
"If the Lebanese army does not disarm Hezbollah and fails to meet the demands of the ceasefire, Israel, with U.S. backing, will attack Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including in Beirut," the official told Israeli Channel 12, hours after Israel struck a series of targets in southern Lebanon.
The official said Thursday's strikes were "just a preview" of what is to come if Hezbollah is not disarmed.
The attacks came hours after Hezbollah lashed out at Lebanon's leadership, rejecting suggestions that it might be time to begin direct talks with Israel.
In an open letter to the Lebanese people and their leaders, Hezbollah said it rejected "any political negotiations" between Lebanon and Israel, and that such talks would "not serve the national interest".
"We reaffirm our legitimate right... to defend ourselves against an enemy that imposes war on our country and does not cease its attacks," Hezbollah added.
Later on Thursday, the Israeli cabinet met to discuss "Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild itself."
President Joseph Aoun denounced the attacks and said that Israel has spared no effort to demonstrate its rejection of any negotiated settlement between the two countries, while the Lebanese army said Israeli strikes were preventing the full implementation of a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah.
- Disarmament drive -
Hezbollah was the only movement in Lebanon that kept its arms after the 1975-1990 civil war, claiming it had a duty to liberate territory occupied by Israel and to defend the country.
Since the ceasefire, the United States has increased pressure on Lebanese authorities to disarm the group.
Lebanon says it has formulated a plan for imposing a state monopoly on weapons, and the government met Thursday to take stock of the disarmament efforts.
Information minister Paul Morcos said afterwards that the cabinet had "commended the progress achieved... despite ongoing obstacles, primarily the continued Israeli hostilities".
Last week, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Aoun of "dragging his feet" on disarmament.
Hezbollah has criticized the government's "hasty decision" to take away its weapons, claiming that Israel has taken advantage of the push.
Source: Naharnet, Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/316307 |