Tensions between Lebanon and Israel persisted on Wednesday, two days after tensions flared for reasons that remain unclear on the volatile border zone between the two countries.
On Wednesday afternoon, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that the Israeli army had deployed anti-missile artillery in the upper Galilee, following similar moves recently on the border region. During the day, Israeli war planes conducted mock air raids over South Lebanon.
Israel is bracing for an attack from Lebanese party-cum-militia Hezbollah during Eid al Adha this week, Israeli media reported. Meanwhile, Hezbollah warned that it would avenge the death of one of its fighters killed in Syria by an alleged Israeli attack on July 20.
Questions remained unanswered about what exactly happened on Monday afternoon on the border. Both Israeli and Lebanese eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke on the hills between the countries. But accounts diverge beyond that.
The Israeli army said that three to five Hezbollah soldiers managed to cross the Blue Line by a few meters. The Blue Line is not officially a border, but rather the line of withdrawal of the Israeli army in 2000, when it left South Lebanon after a 22-year occupation.
The Israeli army claims that the Hezbollah fighters were quickly spotted and were forced to retreat under heavy shelling. The incident lasted 90 minutes, according to Israeli news channel i24.
Israelis living along the northern border with Lebanon were told to stay at home. One Lebanese home was destroyed by the Israeli shelling. No casualties were reported on either side.
Despite Israeli claims of a thwarted Hezbollah attack, both the party and Lebanese authorities remained silent for several hours until Hezbollah published a press release early evening on Monday.
The paramilitary group denied that it had taken part in a military operation and mocked the Israeli army for panicking at the idea of an oncoming Hezbollah attack. A response to the death of Ali Mohsen is “definitely coming,” it warned, without saying when.
On Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister said that Israel had violated his country’s sovereignty with a “dangerous military escalation." The Lebanese army remained silent.
The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon, which patrols the border area, said that it had launched an investigation into the incident.
Unifil spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The National that Force Commander Major-General Stefano Del Col was in contact with the Lebanese and Israeli armies “to decrease tension, prevent misunderstandings and maintain calm.”
Lebanese opinion on the incident is divided. Political analysts close to Hezbollah, including Faysal Abdel Sater, espoused the party’s version of events.
Mr Abdel Sater told The National that Israeli soldiers, already in a state of “utmost readiness” as they waited for Hezbollah’s retaliation to Mohsen’s death, panicked and “launched bombardments in a hysterical fashion.”
The cause of their fright could have been “the sound of trees in the wind, or maybe because of goats,” he hypothesised.
For Hezbollah, the incident is a “moral victory” because it “reflects the confusion of the Israeli [army] leadership,” said Mr Abdel Sater.
But not all analysts in Lebanon agree.
Khalil Helou, a retired general from the Lebanese army, said that he believed Israeli reports that Hezbollah attempted to infiltrate Israeli territory. The group then denied the operation to signal to Israel that it would not escalate further, he said.
“They repeated for over a week that they would avenge Mohsen’s death. So now, they satisfied their public and also told the Israelis that they would stop there,” Mr Helou told The National.
Following Israeli reports of the attack on Monday, Lebanese media published pictures of Mohsen's mother, wrapped in a yellow Hezbollah flag, distributing sweets to drivers in the village of Aitit in South Lebanon to seemingly celebrate the fact that the group had avenged her son's death.
“Hezbollah knows very well that the Israeli army can destroy them in a few days if it decides to go for a full-scale war,” said Mr Helou, a fierce critic of the Iran-backed party. But neither side wants this, he said.
“Hezbollah’s supporters are unhappy with Lebanon’s economic crisis. Israel knows Hezbollah is not a strategic threat, even though it can cause damage and inflict casualties in the Israeli territory. So why enter a war that would be costly?”
Mr Abdel Sater said that the reaction of Mohsen's mother was "natural". "What we are waiting for in the coming days could be harsh," he warned.
Israeli soldiers did not shoot at the retreating Hezbollah operatives to not cause a wider conflict, reported Israeli news website Mako. "The understanding in Israel is that if a number of Hezbollah terrorists were killed and their bodies were lying in the sun - this could have ignited a much bigger conflict," it wrote.
Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organisation by Israel and the United States but operates like a normal political party in Lebanon, where it is represented in Parliament and in the government.
The Israeli army did not release a video of the alleged incident, despite the existence of numerous security cameras along the Blue Line. This has been interpreted by some analysts in Lebanon as proof of Israel’s bad faith, but footage of such incidents is not routinely made public.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
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Salama bint Butti Street
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Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1
Man City: Agüero (25', 35', 75'), Jesus (31'), Silva (48'), Kongolo (84' og)
Huddersfield: Stankovic (43')
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
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Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
ARGYLLE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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