The northern border was quiet today, following the killing late yesterday afternoon of First Sgt. David Solomonov, 21, of Kfar Saba. A sniper assumed to be from Hizbullah shot him from across the Lebanese border as he was guarding in Israel's northern-tip city of Metulah. The shots came from within a building in a Lebanese village to the southwest of Metulah. Hizbullah denies involvement.
Solomonov, a military sniper himself, immigrated to Israel with his family from the United States eight years ago, and was scheduled to complete his army service a week from now. He is the 15th Israeli to have been killed by Hizbullah since the IDF withdrew from Lebanon 40 months ago. His funeral will be held tomorrow in Kfar Saba.
Hizbullah also fired shells at an IDF outpost in the north last night; no one was hurt. Hizbullah terrorists are not manning their forward posts on the border with Israel - despite the fact that Israeli defense sources say there is no intention at present to respond militarily against them. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz said today that he foresees no escalation on the northern front.
It is assumed that the latter Hizbullah response, and possibly also the first one in which Solomonov was killed, came in response to Israel's air raid of a Syrian terrorist training base on Saturday night.
Lt.-Col. (res.) Dubi Amitai, a resident of Metulah, said today that he does not understand why the army did not respond with a massive bombardment of the area from where the shots were fired, "which would undoubtedly have made the terrorists think ten times before carrying out another attack of that nature."
Trade Minister Ehud Olmert said that the concept of a "proportionate" Israeli military response is no longer relevant: "When five members of a family are wiped out in one blast [as in the Haifa massacre three days ago], the idea of a proportionate response no longer applies. We must do whatever is necessary against the terrorist infrastructure."
For at least the 3rd time in a month, terrorists in Ramallah fired at the homes of Psagot last night, while on the Israeli-Egyptian border, a grenade was thrown at an IDF outpost; no one was hurt. In Jenin, 31 wanted terrorist suspects were arrested over the night, including two who were about to carry out a suicide attack.
Solomonov, a military sniper himself, immigrated to Israel with his family from the United States eight years ago, and was scheduled to complete his army service a week from now. He is the 15th Israeli to have been killed by Hizbullah since the IDF withdrew from Lebanon 40 months ago. His funeral will be held tomorrow in Kfar Saba.
Hizbullah also fired shells at an IDF outpost in the north last night; no one was hurt. Hizbullah terrorists are not manning their forward posts on the border with Israel - despite the fact that Israeli defense sources say there is no intention at present to respond militarily against them. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz said today that he foresees no escalation on the northern front.
It is assumed that the latter Hizbullah response, and possibly also the first one in which Solomonov was killed, came in response to Israel's air raid of a Syrian terrorist training base on Saturday night.
Lt.-Col. (res.) Dubi Amitai, a resident of Metulah, said today that he does not understand why the army did not respond with a massive bombardment of the area from where the shots were fired, "which would undoubtedly have made the terrorists think ten times before carrying out another attack of that nature."
Trade Minister Ehud Olmert said that the concept of a "proportionate" Israeli military response is no longer relevant: "When five members of a family are wiped out in one blast [as in the Haifa massacre three days ago], the idea of a proportionate response no longer applies. We must do whatever is necessary against the terrorist infrastructure."
For at least the 3rd time in a month, terrorists in Ramallah fired at the homes of Psagot last night, while on the Israeli-Egyptian border, a grenade was thrown at an IDF outpost; no one was hurt. In Jenin, 31 wanted terrorist suspects were arrested over the night, including two who were about to carry out a suicide attack.