JERUSALEM — The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops were
working on their side of the border when Lebanese troops fired on them,
killing one Israeli officer.
An Israeli rescue helicopter evacuates an injured soldier in following
an incident allegedly involving the Lebanese and the Israeli armies on
August 3 in the northern Israeli border with southern Lebanon. [Flash 90 photo]
Officials of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said
Wednesday that they would continue their investigation of the previous
day’s incident.
President Obama on Tuesday night conveyed his condolences through
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to the family of Lt.-Col. Dov
Harari, who was killed in the Tuesday afternoon exchange of fire between
Israeli and Lebanese troops. Another Israeli soldier was seriously
injured. Lebanon said that four Lebanese were killed, including a
journalist.
According to Israel Radio, the Israeli military told UNIFIL early
Tuesday morning that it planned to trim the foliage in the area; UNIFIL
asked the army to delay the activity until later in the day in order to
prepare for the Israeli presence. The delay gave the Lebanese army time
to arrange the ambush, an Israeli official told Army Radio, pointing
out that journalists and photographers had gathered at the site before
the incident occurred.
"The UN announcement today clearly corroborates the Israeli version
of events," Israeli spokesman Mark Regev said in a statement issued
Wednesday. "Our routine activity yesterday was conducted entirely SOUTH
of the frontier — on the Israeli side — and that the Lebanese Army
opened fire without any provocation or justification whatsoever."
Israeli troops returned to the site and cut the trees and bushes on Wednesday morning.
Israel filed a letter of complaint with UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon and the UN Security Council following the incident Tuesday
afternoon.
"These attacks threaten stability, peace, and security in our
region," Israeli Ambassador Daniel Carmon said in the letter. "In
response to this grave incident that constitutes a blatant violation of
UN Security Council resolution 1701, Israel exercised its right of
self-defense, responding with the appropriate measures on LAF positions
in the area.
"Israel holds the Government of Lebanon responsible for these attacks
and all actions conducted from Lebanese territory. Israel calls upon
the international community to exert its influence and to take the
necessary measures with the Lebanese authorities to ensure that such
provocative violations will not be repeated."