Monday, July 14, 2008

Israel Wary Hezbollah May Attack after Swap Deal


Al-Manar

"14/07/2008 Israeli occupation security establishment officials fear Hezbollah will boost its rearmament efforts and may look to escalate the situation along the northern border following the implementation of the upcoming prisoner exchange deal.

The Jerusalem Post has reported that fears have mounted in Israel that Hezbollah may try to carry out an attack along the northern border following the prisoner swap for captured Israeli occupation soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser scheduled for later this week.

According to estimates reported by Israeli dailies, Hezbollah may use the period following the swap as an opportunity to "change the rules" along the border and particularly inside towns located close to the border fence.

As a result, the Israeli occupation army has raised its level of vigilance along the northern border. The Israeli army is preparing for the possibility that after two years of relative quiet since the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah will try to capture soldiers or even infiltrate occupied Palestine and raid a border town.

Estimates in the Israeli defense establishment claim that even following the swap, Hezbollah will still have many excuses to attack Israel, including the revenge it has said it would like to exact for the February assassination of its military commander Imad Mughniyeh, which it has attributed to Israel.

Israel is also concerned that from its new position in the Lebanese government, Hezbollah may try to block the upcoming renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Forces in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL's mandate is up for renewal in August, and the Israeli army is concerned that with veto power in the Lebanese cabinet, Hezbollah will be able to prevent it. "

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