Lebanon warns missile attacks on Israel will be seen as collaboration with enemy

LEBANON yesterday promised to prosecute anyone who fired rockets at Israel in violation of the week-old ceasefire, saying missile attacks that would give a pretext for retaliation would be considered "collaboration with the enemy".

The country's prime minister, Fuad Siniora, on a tour of devastated south Beirut yesterday, called Israel's bombing campaign during the war against Hezbollah "a crime against humanity".

However, the government stressed it would not tolerate any aggressive action which might threaten the ceasefire, despite an Israeli commando foray near Bodai, about 15 miles from the Lebanese-Syrian border on Saturday.

Standing amid the rubble of Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold, Mr Siniora, who was touring the area with parliamentary speaker and Hezbollah backer, Nabih Berri, said: "What we see today is an image of the crimes Israel has committed."

But the Lebanese defence minister, Elias Murr, said: "Any rocket that would give Israel a justification [to attack Lebanon] will be treated harshly.

"It will be considered direct collaboration with the Israeli enemy." He said those responsible would be tried and referred to a military tribunal.

Mr Murr made clear his warning was not directed at Hezbollah, which he said "is totally committed" to the ceasefire.

Israel has said its attacks were necessary to harm Hezbollah, which it considers a terrorist organisation bent on Israel's destruction and blames for starting the war with a cross-border raid in which two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped.

More than 1,000 Lebanese were killed in Israeli bombing raids, most of them civilians.

Hezbollah fired more than 4,000 rockets into Israel during the war, killing 41 civilians, but none has landed in Israel since the ceasefire. A total of 118 Israeli soldiers also died.

Israel hinted yesterday that it might make more raids into Lebanon to stop Syrian and Iranian arms being smuggled to Hezbollah.

It also rejected the presence of peacekeepers from countries with which it had no diplomatic relations in the beefed up United Nations force to deploy in south Lebanon.

Israel's tourism minister, Isaac Herzog, said that as UN Security Council resolution 1701, which is the basis for the ceasefire, called for an embargo on arms to Hezbollah, "we have the right to act as long as the embargo is being violated".

The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, has said the Bodai commando raid was a violation of the ceasefire.

Uzi Benziman, a columnist on Israel's Haaretz newspaper, yesterday suggested the raid was an ill-conceived bid to boost the precarious domestic standing of the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, defence minister, Amir Peretz and army chief of staff, Dan Halutz.

The three are facing calls for a state commission of inquiry into their handling of the war amid widespread public feeling that Israel failed to defeat Hezbollah.

Accusing the three of endangering Israel with decisions taken to "cover up their resounding failures [during the war]", he called on Mr Olmert, Mr Peretz and Mr Halutz to resign.

Mr Halutz said during yesterday's Israeli cabinet meeting that "the war did not end with a knockout, but we definitely won on points".

Hezbollah, he said, was dealt a severe blow and its standing in Lebanon had declined. The army had killed at least 500 Hezbollah fighters.

Mr Peretz hoped public opinion would recognise the achievements of the war after 15,000 peacekeepers were deployed alongside the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon.
Scotsman