Galei Tsahal - Israel Army Radio reports that at 9:00 this morning settlements on Israel’s came under a barrage of Katushya and mortar fire from southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Hizbullah organization has announced that it has captured two IDF soldiers.
This afternoon, the IDF allowed it to be reported that in this morning's exchanges of fire three soldiers were killed and two were captured. Later it was reported that an IDF tank had hit a mine, and that all four crew had been killed.
Hizbullah said that the captured soldiers had been taken to a secure location, and that they would be freed in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
It was reported this afternoon that IDF forces had crossed the border fence into Lebanon and were engaged in operations on Lebanese territory. It is not known at this time how deeply into Lebanon the forces have penetrated or the nature of the operations. The Air Force has bombed two important bridges in Southern Lebanon.
This evening it was reported that senior Hizbullah figure had been killed.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, "There are those in the north and in the south who threaten our stability and are putting our determination to the test. They will pay a heavy price for their deeds."
Eleven people have suffered light to moderate injuries and have been admitted to local hospitals.
The settlements that first came under attack were Shlomi, Shetula, Sla’it, Even Menahem, and Biranit, which are on the Israel-Lebanon border. The shelling later spread to other regions in the Galilee. Emergency services and Magen David Adom have placed on alert and residents in the northern town of Shlomi were ordered to move into their secure rooms after a Katushya rocket landed on a hillside half a kilometer from the entrance to the town.
Maale Yosef regional council head Avi Karmapa reported on the casualties in an interview this morning with Galei Zahal. “In Zareit, a man working in the field was slightly injured by shrapnel when his van was wrecked. Additionally, a building worker suffered shrapnel injuries in his stomach, and a youth working in the orchards suffered light to moderate injuries. They have all been taken to Nahariya hospital for treatment.”
Shtula resident Yair Chatan said the entire region was reverberating with the noise of the shelling. “I heard shots and mortar explosions and I realized that something serious was happening. I took my camera and ran over to the settlement of Karkum as I wanted to take some photos there. While I was taking pictures, I suddenly hear a whistling noise. I turned to my left and saw that the house there had taken a direct hit. The workers inside began yelling. There are a lot of military vehicles in the area, helicopters flying overhead and continual shooting.”
Military sources believe that Hizbullah is responsible for the escalation on the northern border. The IDF responded by shelling the organization’s outposts in South Lebanon. The sources added that following the launch of operation “Summer Rain” in Gaza two weeks ago, the level of readiness in the north was increased in anticipation of retaliation by Hizbullah.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on July 12, 2006
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