DATE=5/22/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ISRAEL / LEBANON (L)
NUMBER=2-262647
BYLINE=MEREDITH BUEL
DATELINE=JERUSALEM
CONTENT=
VOICE AT:
INTRO: In southern Lebanon, at least two people are
dead after Israeli forces reportedly fired at
Hezbollah guerrillas and civilians who have taken over
villages near the Israeli border. V-O-A Correspondent
Meredith Buel reports from Jerusalem.
TEXT: Hezbollah guerrillas and civilians marched into
villages in southern Lebanon abandoned by militiamen
in the Israeli-supported South Lebanon Army.
As the guerrillas moved in, militiamen deserted their
posts. Some fled to the Israeli border asking for
asylum while others surrendered at Lebanese army
checkpoints.
Hundreds of people entered the village of Houla, which
is just two kilometers from the Israeli border.
Lebanese officials say Israeli forces, apparently
trying to prevent the crowds from advancing further,
opened fire killing the civilians.
The advance puts the guerrillas on Israel's doorstep,
and may threaten the government's plan to carry out an
orderly military withdrawal from southern Lebanon by
July of this year.
Israel has maintained a 15-kilometer-wide buffer zone
to guard against cross-border attacks, but in recent
weeks has gradually handed over military outposts to
the South Lebanon Army.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak toured communities in
northern Israel, and warned that retaliation for any
new guerrilla attacks would be -- in his words --
"very painful."
/// BARAK ACT - IN HEBREW - UNDER ENGLISH
TRANSLATION ///
I do not recommend anyone, directly or
indirectly, try and check our reaction should
anyone dare fire on Israeli soldiers, and I
don't need to say on the northern communities,
once we redeploy to the international border in
a few weeks. The reaction will be very painful.
/// END ACT ///
Israel's deputy defense minister, Ephraim Sneh, is
warning villagers to keep guerrillas out of their
districts in south Lebanon if they want to avoid the
return of Israeli soldiers.
Mr. Sneh insists the South Lebanon Army is not
collapsing even though militiamen continue to abandon
villages and outposts to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Israeli residents living in northern communities have
been told to spend the night in bomb shelters in case
guerrillas fire rockets across the border. (Signed)
NEB/MB/JWH/KBK
22-May-2000 11:46 AM EDT (22-May-2000 1546 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
