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Yesterday
morning, July 12th, in an unprovoked
surprise attack, Hizballah began firing dozens of
missiles and mortars across the border towards northern towns in
Israel . Hizballah then carried out an attack on an IDF Unit
on a routine patrol inside
Israel . In the assault two Israeli soldiers were
kidnapped,
several killed and more injured. A total of eight Israeli
soldiers have so far lost their lives.
Today,
more than 80 Katushya rockets were fired on Israeli population
centres, killing
one 40 year-old female resident of the Israeli
coastal town of Nahariya
and injuring 29 others. Further rockets have fallen
on Sefad, injuring 12.
In all, around 90
Israeli civilians have been injured.
May
I emphasise a few points
as a context to the current situation:
1.
Israeli
troops operating inside Israel were attacked by Hizballah coming
from Lebanon .
2.
Hizballah
is part of the Lebanese government. Israel,
therefore holds the Lebanese government responsible for the
unprovoked aggression against Israel.
3.
Hizballah, like Hamas, is supported
by Iran and Syria whose shared goal is the
elimination of Israel as well as
any hope of peace in the region.
4.
UN
Security Council Resolution 1559 demands
of the Lebanese government that it disarm Hizballah. The
resolution calls
for "the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and
non-Lebanese militias." The current situation is a
result of that failure to disarm Hizballah.
5.
Intelligence sources have estimated that
Hizballah have an arsenal of approximately 13,000
rockets and missiles.
6.
Israel Defence Forces have responded to the
attacks by targeting:
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Beirut Airport, which has been used to
bring in weapons1
for use in Hizballah's
criminal and terrorist activity.
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Al-Manar television station, the mouthpiece
of Hizballah, which continually broadcasts Islamist, extremist
material including anti-Semitic
rhetoric.
7.
Israel withdrew from Lebanon entirely in 2000, in accordance with UN
Security Council Resolution 425.
8.
Israel will do everything necessary to protect its sovereign land
and people from external attack.
Full
Story
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Source: IDF
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