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UN Peacekeepers Say Tree-Cutting Was Within Israeli Border

   VOA News 04 August 2010
   Israeli  soldiers  use  a  crane as they appear to cut a tree on their
   side  of  border fence in southern village of Adaisseh, Lebanon, 3 Aug
   2010

Photo: AP

   Israeli  soldiers  use  a  crane as they appear to cut a tree on their
   side  of  border fence in southern village of Adaisseh, Lebanon, 3 Aug
   2010

   The  United  Nations  peacekeeping  force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL,
   says  trees  at the center of a deadly border clash between Israel and
   Lebanon were on Israeli territory.
   UNIFIL released a statement Wednesday saying the trees that were being
   cut  by the Israeli army, Tuesday, were located on the Israeli side of
   the "Blue Line," a U.N.-drawn border separating the two countries.
   Two  Lebanese  soldiers,  one  Israeli  officer  and a journalist were
   killed   after  the  tree-cutting  operation  sparked  a  cross-border
   skirmish between Israeli and Lebanese troops.
   Lebanese  officials  say  Israeli  air  and ground forces fired on the
   border   town  of  Adaisseh,  killing  two  Lebanese  soldiers  and  a
   journalist  with  the al-Akhbar newspaper.  Several other people were
   wounded.
   Israel  says  Lebanese  snipers  killed  a  senior Israeli officer and
   critically  wounded  another.   The  fighting died down after several
   hours.
   Lebanon  had  accused Israeli troops of using a crane to uproot a tree
   on  the  Lebanese  side  of  the border.  Israel said its troops were
   engaged  in  routine  border  maintenance  in  coordination  with U.N.
   peacekeepers when Lebanese troops opened fire.
   The  fighting  is  the  most  serious  in  the  area  since Israel and
   Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group fought a month-long war in 2006.
   Israeli  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Israeli army
   to  respond to any future Lebanese fire.  Mr. Netanyahu said he views
   Lebanon  as  directly  responsible  for  what  he  called  a " violent
   provocation against Israel." Â
   Prime  Minister  Saad  Hariri  of  Lebanon denounced what he said were
   "Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty." Â
   Hezbollah  leader Hassan Nasrallah warned his fighters would retaliate
   if  there  are  any  more incidents.  In a Tuesday speech marking the
   anniversary of the 2006 conflict with Israel, Nasrallah said Hezbollah
   would "cut" any "hand" that attacked Lebanon's army.
   There  are  no  indications  that  Hezbollah  forces  were involved in
   Tuesday's incident.
   Meanwhile, Israeli forces resumed their tree-clearing operation in the
   border area, Wednesday.
   U.N.   peacekeepers  patrol  southern  Lebanon  to  monitor  the  2006
   cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.  The 34-day war killed about
   1,200  Lebanese  and 160 Israelis.  It began when Hezbollah kidnapped
   two Israeli soldiers and killed others in a cross-border raid.

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