Israeli warplanes strike Lebanon again

Barak greets residents in a bomb shelter

February 8, 2000
Web posted at: 1:31 PM EST (1831 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Israeli planes struck more targets in Lebanon on Tuesday, a day after destroying three power plants. Thousands of Israelis fled to bomb shelters in fear of counterattacks by Hezbollah guerrillas.

VIDEO In Lebanon, CNN's Brent Sadler shows the results of attacks from Israel. (February 8) QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Airstrikes in Lebanon

Meanwhile, a soldier from the pro-Israeli South Lebanon Army was killed in what was described as anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon said that at least 18 people had been injured in the airstrikes on Monday. In Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss told CNN he considers the attacks on the power grid "unjustified and unacceptable."

The raids on three power stations around Beirut caused "millions of dollars in damages," said Hoss.

The view from an Israeli warplane of a bomb hitting a Lebanese power plant

At an Israeli shelter in the border town of Kiryat Shmona, Prime Minister Ehud Barak passed out mint tea to adults and comforted children. Wearing a leather bomber jacket, Barak said it was impossible to tell when the all-clear would sound.

"I'm not a prophet. I'm the prime minister of Israel and I'm determined to do whatever it takes to protect the citizens of Israel, its armed forces and the South Lebanese Army which works with us," he said.

An Israeli Army spokesman said the Israeli raids were meant as a message to Hezbollah and to the Lebanese government to "stop the escalation and to live in a coexistence as neighbors in the Middle East."

Hezbollah has been fighting to drive Israeli troops from a security zone Israel established in 1985 to protect its northern settlements from cross-border guerrilla attacks.

Both Lebanon and its ally, Syria, said the Israeli airstrikes violated a 1996 agreement to avoid civilian targets. Hezbollah issued a statement Tuesday, saying the guerrillas "reserve the right to retaliate at the appropriate time -- which could come very soon."

Barak countered that it was Hezbollah that had violated the code against targeting civilians. He said Hezbollah has fired on Israeli troops from Lebanese villages, apparently gambling that Israel would not respond in kind to avoid hurting civilians.

"Our operation yesterday intended to signal to the Lebanese government and Hezbollah and even the Syrians that Israel is not willing to accept unilateral violations and we will do whatever it takes to defend our citizens," Barak said.

"It is not our intention to hurt civilians or to close the door on the opportunity to continue the peace process," he added.

At Israeli border towns, the army ordered residents to spend the night in bomb shelters

Barak on Tuesday reaffirmed his pledge to withdraw Israeli troops from Lebanon by July, hopefully as part of an understanding with Syria.

Cabinet Minister Haim Ramon, a Barak confidant, said that if it became apparent in a month or two that a peace treaty with Syria was not possible, the Israeli Cabinet would convene by May to decide on a unilateral withdrawal. Ramon said a majority of his colleagues were in favor of such a pullback.

Mideast analysts, and those close to the peace process, said the raids risked setting back efforts to restart the stalled land-for-peace negotiations with Syria.

"It is becoming more and more smaller and narrow, but we still believe in peace," said former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. "We still hope that the Israeli people and the Israeli leadership and the United States in particular will play its role to push forward the peace process."

Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Richard Murphy said hopes for peace might be improved if Syria can be a calming influence on militant Hezbollah members.

Beirut Bureau Chief Brent Sadler, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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