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Israel warns Syria on Hezbollah

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA AUG. 11. Fighting between Israeli forces and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants is reaching a new threshold and threatens to draw regional countries such as Syria into combat.

The clashes between the Hezbollah and Israeli forces intensified on Sunday when a 16-year-old boy, Haviv Dadon, was killed and four others were wounded by Hezbollah fire on the northern Israeli town of Shlomi. Israeli helicopters retaliated by attacking Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon.

Positioned in southern Lebanon, the Hezbollah combatants have been supported by Syria and Iran. The Hezbollah, whose fighters are Shias, played a key role in ending Israel's 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000. The group is widely seen as Syria's first line of defence against Israel in case of a conflict. Syria has also deployed its troops in Lebanon, but is now under increasing pressure from Washington to withdraw them. Taking into account the Syrian influence over the group, the Israelis have warned Syria to restrain the Hezbollah to prevent the fighting from escalating. According to Israel Radio, the Israeli message to Damascus, which was conveyed through the U.S. and the United Nations, threatened Israeli attacks against Syrian targets in Lebanon in case the Hezbollah was not restrained. Intense U.S. pressure as well as the combat readiness of the Hezbollah appears to have led Israel to restrict itself to "measured retaliation" so far.

Analysts point out that with its hands full in Iraq, the U.S. is exerting pressure on both Israel and Syria to prevent another conflict in the region from emerging.

Apparently, the killing of one of its senior functionaries recently triggered the Hezbollah artillery attack late last week. The group has blamed Israel for the assassination of Ali Hussein Saleh. Leaders of the Hezbollah have, following the recent clashes, reinforced their demand for the exit of Israeli forces from the Shebba farms and bringing to an end Israeli air intrusions into Lebanon.

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