Note: The translations of articles from the Hebrew press
are prepared by the Government Press Office
as a service to foreign journalists in Israel.
They express the views of the authors.
More Mortar Fire, Less Clashes
(Background by Alex Fishman - "Yediot Ahronot", Feb 24, 1999, p. A8)
Hizballah's military arm in Lebanon numbers between 600-800 fighters. The
same terrorists, most of whom have gained considerable experience fighting
against the IDF, are supported and assisted by several thousand residents
of southern Lebanon who constitute a kind of "civil guard" in the villages
from which Hizballah operates.
According to Northern Command forecasts, 1999 was supposed to be similar
to 1998 regarding Hizballah's patterns of activity in southern Lebanon:
avoiding direct clashes with IDF forces and concentrating efforts on
planting roadside bombs, mortar and Katyusha fire, sniper fire and the
firing of anti-tank missiles.
But, in Lebanon, the unexpected is to be expected, and the IDF's first
casualties of the year fell in a clash with a Hizballah ambush. It was
precisely in these kinds of incidents that there has been a continuous
decline in recent years: In 1996, there were 24 clashes between IDF forces
and the terrorists; in 1997 there were 20 clashes and in 1998, the number
of clashes dropped to 17.
However, in 1998 the number of attacks in the security zone doubled: 1,207
attacks as opposed to 643 in 1997. 1,117 of the 1998 attacks were by
long-range fire, with 841 of these being mortar fire. In the same year,
there were only two incidents of Hizballah firing Katyushas and two
incidents in which outposts in the security zone were attacked.
The current year has seen the introduction of long-range, Iranian-made,
artillery into Lebanon. They have a 45- kilometer range and are capable of
reaching the Haifa area. The IDF estimates that Hizballah will use this
weapon in response to large scale Israeli military operations, such as
"Grapes of Wrath," or in response to an attack on infrastructure targets
of the Lebanese government.
But the main problem in southern Lebanon, one which will continue to
disturb the IDF this year as well, is roadside bombs. In 1998, even though
there was only a slight increase in the number of bombs which the
terrorists planted, the results were deadly: 17 of the 22 soldiers who
were killed in the security zone in 1998 were hit by roadside bombs. These
devices' high killing ability stems from inter alia the fact that
Hizballah has begun to use two kinds of new devices: anti- personnel and
anti-vehicle bombs.
In the past two years, Hizballah has also been making wider use of
propaganda measures: an Internet site, videos which document their
attacks, and television and radio broadcasts.
The funds necessary for operating the terrorists comes from two main
sources: from Iran and the organization's economic enterprises in Lebanon.
Iran is also Hizballah's ain supplier of arms and the organization's
terrorists train at Revolutionary Guard bases in its territory.
Additionally, Revolutionary Guard instructors are active in the Lebanese
Beka'a Valley.