January Thursday 27-2000:

Introduction

The recent painful human losses among the "Israeli" enemy troops and their agents in the occupied zone started to have repercussions of the "Israeli" officials.

Ha'aretz newspaper quoted senior officers as saying that "Israel's" Army is losing the deterrent advantage as the result of the continued Hizbullah attacks in South Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the "Israeli" occupation forces and their collaborators stepped up their aggressions on South Lebanon targeting schools and residential areas. At least fifteen school students were treated for shock after the "Israeli" shells landed near their school at Kfar Romman town. The children were panic-stricken and rushed out of their classes to find shelter from the shells.

"Israel" is worried over IR attacks…(1)
""Israel's" Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh warned on Wednesday that further violence in the south could endanger the peace process with Syria.
His colleague David Levy, the foreign minister, added to the clamor from "Israeli" officials by calling on Syria to condemn the killing of an "Israeli" soldier on Tuesday by Hizbullah. He said that Syria should rein in the resistance fighters if the stalled peace talks were to succeed.
"Sneh, in an interview on "Israeli" Army radio said: “If (the Syrians) are serious about peace talks, it’s understandable that we would expect them to stop such activities.”
"The minister was reacting to the death of Staff Sergeant Rafael Zangwill, 24,who was killed by a Sagger anti-tank rocket fired by Hizbullah fighters during an assault on the Bayada radar station in the western sector. He was the first "Israeli" soldier to die in the south since last August.
Former "Israeli" Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak ­ a member of the negotiating team with Syria ­ cautioned that talks could break down over such attacks.
“If I thought Syria was sending Hizbullah, I would not think it was right to continue talks ... "Israel" must demand the Syrians prevent Hizbullah activities,” Lipkin-Shahak said.
Syria accused "Israel" of escalating the fighting and attacking Lebanese civilians indiscriminately. “Whoever wants peace doesn’t send warplanes to destroy homes. Instead he works on calming the situation and creating a real peace climate,” said the Tishreen newspaper.
Despite the raised voices, "Israeli" reaction to Zangwill’s death was comparatively muted. The "Israeli" government has demonstrated a vested interest in playing down any fatalities among its forces in the south.
By announcing a date for a troop withdrawal Ehud Barak, the premier, has effectively conceded that the war against Hizbullah is over. As such, any fatalities in the last months will appear to an "Israeli" public, grown weary of the 22-year conflict, even more futile than in the past and, consequently, even more politically sensitive.
The "Israeli" Army has tacitly acknowledged this by adopting a defensive holding action in the south in which ground forces are confined to their bunkers and the air force does the fighting.
The tactic has helped reduce "Israeli" casualties in recent months and frustrated Hizbullah’s efforts to hit the occupation forces.
But since the beginning of the month, Hizbullah has not only increased the number of attacks but also the variety.
Hizbullah’s mortar fire against outposts is heavier and more accurate. Mortar shelling this week alone has wounded three "Israeli" soldiers in Taibeh and three allied militiamen in Baraacheit.
The roadside bomb has begun claiming casualties once more after several fruitless months.
Given the qualitative escalation, "Israeli" fatalities appeared inevitable to observers. “The death of the soldier was clearly coming,” said UNIFIL spokesman Timur Goksel. “There has been a perceptible increase in attacks and accuracy lately.”
After months of reversals, Hizbullah needed some successes to boost morale among the fighters and to prove that the resistance can still reach "Israeli" troops even if they do spend most of their time sitting tight in their hill-top bunkers.
"With five months left before Barak’s July deadline for a withdrawal, Hizbullah will likely maintain pressure on the occupation forces. It is politically important for Hizbullah to convey the impression that "Israel" was chased out of Lebanon rather than having departed in good order under the terms of a peace settlement".

FIFTEEN CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED FOR SHOCK AND NERVOUS BREAKDOWN FOLLOWING "ISRAELI" SHELLING
""Israel" today (yesterday) stepped up its attacks on southern Lebanon, targeting schools and residential areas. At least fifteen elementary school students are being treated for shock and nervous breakdown. There was a stampede in the Kfar Rouman public school when "Israeli" shells fell near the building and machine gunfire hit the school's playground".

" "Israeli" shells fell near a southern Lebanese school in Kfar Rouman, causing panic among the 400 pupils. At least fifteen students were hospitalized for shock and a number of them are reportedly suffering from nervous breakdowns. Three shells exploded on the northern edge of the town of Nabatieh, north of the zone "Israel" occupies, causing pupils and staff to rush out of their classrooms in Kfar Rouman. Girls fainted, a small boy had his arm broken in the stampede and classes were suspended for the rest of the day. Lebanese Army units, civil defense units, and ICRC volunteers scrambled to rush students to safety. Police said the shelling came from "Israeli" fortified positions facing Nabatieh. Witnesses said the students had been terrorized. There was also panic in the front-line villages of Arab Salim and Habboush, where "Israeli" shells fell close to elementary schools. Last month, 20 pupils were hurt in the southern Lebanese village of Arab Salim when "Israel" shelled their school. The Hizbullah resistance movement said it launched a series of attacks against occupation fortifications in Tohorra, Mashaaroun, and Soweida, facing Nabatieh. Southern Lebanon has seen an upsurge of fighting. "Israel" yesterday attacked areas outside the zone, damaging houses and injuring two civilians. Hizbullah launched resistance operations killing an "Israeli" occupation soldier and injuring three "Israeli" allied militiamen"…(2)

For its part, The IR issued a statement in which it reported the following "Israeli" aggressions (3):

7:05, four 120mm shells fell on the perimeters of Majdal Selem and three 155mm smoke missiles on the surroundings of Mashaaroun outpost, whereas a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets struck the surroundings of Houla and Mashaaroun positions.

Between 7:05 and 7:10, Qaissieh Valley was bombarded by sixteen 155mm missiles.

7:15, the peripheries of Majdal Selem exposed to a barrage of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets.

9:25, two 120mms shells hit Haddatha woodland.

Between 10:50 and 15:00, Kfar Romman town came under 12.7mm heavy machine gun fire.

10:50, a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine gun rounds struck the outskirts of Habboush town.

11:10, two 60mm rounds were fired at Mount Sojod.

11:35, the surroundings of Mothallath position exposed to 12.7mm heavy machine gun fire.

11:45, Kfar Romman came under ten 120mm shells wounding one boy student, suffering two girl students with nervous breakdown and causing damage to the houses of Jaafar Makki and Hassan Ali Sultan.

12:30, a barrage of 40mm machine gun bullets hit the peripheries of Kfar Romman.

16:20, one 105mm tank round landed near the Unifil post at Mansouri village.

16:25, Jib Soweid area, east of Majdal Zoun village, was shelled by five 155mm missiles.

18:05, the perimeters of Nabatieh El-Fawqa exposed to a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets.

18:15, a barrage of 12.7mm heavy machine gun rounds struck the surroundings of Sojod outpost, whereas two flare shells were unleashed overhead.

21:10, the peripheries of Majdal Zoun and Mansouri exposed to 12.7mm heavy machine gun fire.

Military Operations…(4)

The IR team of martyrs Abdallah Qassem and Adnan Rida attacked, at 7:00, Mashaaroun outpost with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades destroying some of its western fortifications where the smoke columns were seen billowing out of it.

Also, the IR squad of martyrs Taleb Hussein Harb and Hussein Ali Termos targeted, at 10:50, a Lahdi infantry force as it was beefing up Soweida compound. The militants, who used the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, were able to score direct and certain hits.

In the meantime, the IR group of martyrs Hussein Ali Ayoub and Abdel-Rahman Houmani was rushing upon the same outpost with the rocket-propelled grenades. Direct goals were chalked up, the mujahedeen reported.

Meanwhile, the IR team of martyrs Chaouki Hussein Termos and Hani Mohammad Hijazi was falling upon Tohorra outpost with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades scoring direct and definite hits where the smoke columns were seen emanating out of it.

Moreover, the IR squad of martyrs Hussein Ali Sayyed and Jaafar Abdel-Hussein Alameh targeted, at 15:22, Hardoun outpost with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The mujahedeen managed to chalk up direct and certain hits.

At the same time, the IR group of martyrs Louai Mohammad Lotf and Toufic Hussein Younes rushed upon Shamaa position with the rocket-propelled grenades striking its northern fortification and destroying a 12.7mm heavy machine gun.

Furthermore, the IR unit of martyrs Hussein Qarout and Adnan Khreis attacked, at 23:55, enemy movements inside Sojod outpost with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Direct and certain goals were scored, the militants reported.

For its part, Amal Movement shelled, at 16:30, the positions of Taibeh and Salaah.

Martyr (5)

The IR announced proudly the martyrdom of Mahmoud Anani, born at Kounine in 1978, single, joined the IR ranks in 1996, subjected to a number of military and cultural courses and shared with several military attacks. He was martyred on 26-1-2000 during the heroic confrontations against the "Israeli" occupation forces and their agents at the areas of Shamaa and Hardoun.

Footnotes:
1- The Daily Star, 27-1-2000.
2- Future TV, 26-1-2000.
3- IR statement, 26-1-2000.
4- Same source.
5- Same source.