21 August 2006
Lebanon's defense minister Elias Murr declared on Sunday that he was certain Hezbollah would not break the ceasefire but warned all militant groups of harsh measures if they incite Israeli retaliation by firing rockets into the Jewish state. Murr's strong remarks indicated concern that Syrian-backed Palestinian militants might try to restart the fighting by drawing retaliation from Israel. Prime minister Fuad Saniora, meanwhile, toured the devastated Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut and called the destruction by Israeli bombs a "crime against humanity." Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Shiite and Hezbollah backer, stood at the premier's side and said they spoke with one voice. In Jerusalem, Israel's prime minister Ehud Olmert said he would name a panel to investigate the military and government's performance during the war, which has been criticized by many Israelis as weak and indecisive.
A day after Israeli commandos staged a pre-dawn raid deep into Lebanon, prompting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to declare the Israelis in violation of the Security Council cease-fire resolution, no new clashes were reported. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said that Saturday's raid was aimed at disrupting arms shipments to Hezbollah and such operations may continue until international peacekeepers arrive to enforce an arms embargo. "In the situation where there was a flagrant violation of the embargo, Israel had the right to act. Had there not been a violation, Israel would not have to respond," he said, expressing impatience with the slow international response in offering troops for the peacekeeping force. The US government said the Israeli raid underscored the importance of quickly deploying an expanded United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Turkey's foreign minister Abdullah Gül paid a visit to Israel for talks focusing on Turkey’s contribution to the peace-keeping force. Gül met with Olmert, foreign minister Tzipi Livni and defense minister Amir Peretz. Senior Israeli officials told the "Jerusalem Post" that Israel had no objection to Turkey taking part in the peacekeeping force. Olmert called on Italy to lead the multinational force in southern Lebanon, something the government in Rome said it would accept if asked by the United Nations. Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel ruled out sending Germany's combat troops and police to Lebanon as part of the UN peacekeeping mission. In an interview with the "Welt am Sonntag" newspaper, Merkel reiterated Germany's stance on this issue, namely, its emphasis on avoiding the risk of a direct confrontation between German and Israeli soldiers as memories of the Holocaust were still fresh. Merkel said Germany was responsible for the existence of Israel because of historical reasons.
