Hezbollah: We're not responsible for rocket fire into Israel

Hezbollah seeks to adhere to the United Nations-brokered truce with Israel that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the Shi'ite militant organization's second-in-command said in comments published Sunday. "We have an interest in adhering to resolution 1701, since it certainly preserves the achievements of the resistance Hezbollah, and of Lebanon's forces," Naim Kassem told the Lebanese daily Al-Akbar. He was referring to the UN resolution that ushered in the cease-fire. 

Amid rising tensions, Israel has complained that Hezbollah is violating the resolution's stipulation that it disarm, which the group has refused to do. Advertisement Kassem added that Hezbollah is not responsible for rocket fire against Israel from southern Lebanon. Kassem also responded to criticism by groups affiliated to Al-Qaida that since the war, Hezbollah has ceased to function as a "resistance" organization in the fight against Israel. "Hezbollah waged a great campaign against Israel and unprecedented achievements," he was quoted as saying. "It commits to preserve these achievements in terms of readiness and preparedness for every future Israeli aggression, and in order to preserve this interest there is no place for trading blame." Source:haaretz.com/

Hezbollah ‘real Lebanese army’: Israel PM

Abbas discusses Palestinian refugee issue in Lebanon * Four bodies found in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned Lebanon’s government that it would be held responsible for any attacks after granting Hezbollah the right to use its arms against Israel. 

“Hezbollah is today the real Lebanese army and it has replaced Lebanon’s army as the dominant force by arming and organising itself as a full-fledged military,” he told parliament’s powerful foreign affairs and defence committee. “The Lebanese government and Hezbollah are becoming entwined and they will bear responsibility for any attack against Israel,” a senior official present at the meeting quoted Netanyahu as saying. Lebanon’s cabinet last week adopted a policy statement granting Hezbollah the right to use its arms against Israel, after forming a unity government which includes the militia. 

The hawkish premier also said that the UN Security Council resolution, which ended a devastating 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, had proven to be failure. “Resolution 1701 does not withstand the test of reality. Resolution 1701 has collapsed,” he said. Refugees: Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, separately, said on Monday the legal status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon would remain “unchanged”, in an apparent attempt to quell Lebanese fears of permanent resettlement. 

“The status of Palestinian refugees will remain unchanged until a comprehensive, final solution is reached” with Israel, Abbas said after meeting Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on a day-long visit to Beirut. “We believe there is no alternative to peace but peace itself, and we will continue our political fight for peace,” he said in a news conference. His trip comes amid renewed efforts to revive the Middle East peace process and concern among Lebanon’s leadership that any deal on the issue of Palestinian refugees would be at the expense of the Lebanese and could threaten the country’s confessional balance. 

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees lists almost 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Bodies: Four bodies were found in a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon on Monday that was the scene of deadly clashes between the army and an Al Qaeda-inspired militia two years ago, a Lebanon army official said. “Four bodies were found in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp as we were clearing rubble and conducting demining operations,” an army spokesman told AFP on condition of anonymity. “We are still looking into whether they died during the 2007 battles there or were buried at another time,” he added. afp Source:dailytimes.com.pk/