Lebanon PM: Israel assaulted sovereignty in dangerous military escalation

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned that Israel had “assaulted Lebanon’s sovereignty again” in a “dangerous military escalation,” during a meeting of Lebanon’s Supreme Council of Defense on Tuesday, following an attempted infiltration by Hezbollah terrorists on Monday that was thwarted by the IDF.

Israel is “seeking to amend the tasks of UNIFIL and the rules of engagement with us,” added Diab. “I call for caution in the coming days because I fear that things will slip for the worse in light of the severe tension on our borders.”

Diab made the comments Tuesday prior to a Higher Defense Council meeting in Beirut’s Baabda Presidential Palace for talks on the events, Lebanon’s Naharnet News reported.

Chaired by Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun, the meeting was also attended by Defense Zeina Akar, Foreign Ministry Nasif Hitti, Lebanese Army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun, General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman and several other military and security officials. Several other Lebanese ministers also joined the talks.

On Monday afternoon a Hezbollah cell, which numbered between three and five operatives, crossed the border – also known as the Blue Line – several meters into sovereign Israeli territory and were identified by the IDF, which opened fire on them causing them to flee back into Lebanon without firing at IDF troops.

There were no IDF injuries or casualties and Hezbollah later denied such a clash occurred and warned that its response to the death of its member in Syria “is definitely coming” and that the damage to one of the houses in the village of Al-Habariyah “will not pass quietly.”

Prior to the incident Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Jalal Firouznia met with Lebanon’s Grand Mufti and “confirmed Iran’s support for Lebanon,” and warned against an Israeli strike on Lebanon.

“The Israeli enemy has not forgotten its defeat in the July war (2006). If it does such madness, there is no doubt that it will receive a harder blow in return. The axis of the resistance is stronger than ever, and we are convinced that more victories await this axis” he was quoted by Lebanon’s MTV News as saying.