Tension continues to grow along Lebanese border

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Tension continues to grow along the Lebanese border as Hizbullah organized villagers create unrest.

Scores of Lebanese villagers brought by Hizbullah hurled stones and garbage on the Israeli side of the border. Israeli soldiers fired blanks to disperse the Lebanese.

United Nations peacekeepers were deployed near the border on Saturday. But about 100 men, women and children ignored them and made their way to the former crossing point with Israel. They hoisted Hizbullah flags, set fire to clothes and threw them over the fence.

For two hours, Israeli soldiers ignored the demonstration. After two hours, soldiers fired blanks. The Lebanese ran for cover but minutes later many of them returned and continued throwing stones at the Israelis.

UN officers said they were not authorized to patrol the area. They said this was the responsibility of the Lebanese police, who were not seen during the demonstration. For its part, the Lebanese army warned Lebanese not to have any contact with Israel along the border area.

"I know that on the Lebanese side, the UN is trying to reduce this [protest]," Israeli Brig. Gen. Benny Gantz said.

UN Middle East envoy Terje Larsen, who meets Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday in Jerusalem, said he hopes the Lebanese army will deploy along the Israeli border once the United Nations declares that Israel has completed its withdrawal in accordance with Security Council resolution 425. Lebanon said the withdrawal must include the disputed Shebaa plateau and on Saturday the Israeli army began withdrawing from part of the area.

Israeli military sources said they expect the border unrest to lead to shooting over the next few days. They said Lebanese authorities have done nothing over the last four days to stop the Hizbullah deployment along the border and that Syria is training Palestinians to resume the guerrilla campaign against Israel.

Palestinian guerrillas have vowed to return to the border area. They said they are being trained to launch attacks on Israel.

"Once Israel withdraws unilaterally, no army in the world, the United Nations blue berets included, will guarantee the security of Israel from our attacks," said Col. Munir Makdah, a Fatah dissident commander supported by Syria.