4 UNFIL observers killed as Kofi Annan accuses Israel of a deliberate attack;IDF has large Hezbollah force trapped in Bint Jubeil

An Israeli air strike in south Lebanon killed four UN military observers yesterday, in an attack that Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, said was "apparently deliberate". (!)

The four observers were part of the UNFIL Hezbollah enablement peacekeeping mission.

Speaking after the the UN site was hit, Milos Strugar, a spokesman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, said: "One aerial bomb directly impacted the building and shelter in the base of the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon in the area of Khiyam."

Kofi Annan, neutral party that he is didn't waste any time in placing the blame where it always belongs as far as he's concerned, no matter what - on Israel.

In a statement issued at UN headquarters in New York, Mr Annan said: "I am shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli defence forces of a UN observer post in southern Lebanon."

"This co-ordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long-established and clearly marked UN post at Khiyam occurred despite personal assurances given to me by prime minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire."

In Jerusalem, an Israeli army spokeswoman said the military was investigating the report of yesterday's deaths,but Israeli diplomatic sources claim to have been shocked that Annan would accuse Israel of deliberately targeting the UNFIL post, which after all was in a battlezone.

The Israeli government issued a statement regretting the accidental deaths. And I'm certain that the IDF is as upset at the apparent error as the UNFIL troops were a couple of years ago when Hezbollah kidnapped and murdered three Israeli soldiers across Israel's border right in front of them and didn't lift a finger to intervene.

In more important news, senior Hezbollah figures admitted that they were surprised at strength of Israel's response to cross-border raids, but vowed to step up their attacks into Israel. Mahmoud Komati, the deputy chief of the Hezbollah politburo, suggested the group had miscalculated Israel's response to its raids.

"The truth is - let me say this clearly - we didn't even expect [this] response... that [Israel] would exploit this operation for this big war against us," said Komati.

Whoopsie.

Meanwhile Sheik Nasrallah said Hezbollah would begin firing rockets beyond Haifa. If that happens, I guarantee you that the IDF will see to it that it doesn't happen twice, no matter what that takes.

The Tzahal overwhelmed the Hizballah stronghold of Bin Jubeil in southern Lebanon today and they now have the entire sector surrounded.Hizballah is reported by IDF sources to have lost 100-120 Hizballah fighters. Israel lost two soldiers from its armored forces. In the battle the IDF killed one of Nasrallah's chief lieutenants, Khalil Amin Shivli, 44, commander of the Central Sector in South Lebanon

The IDF is now concentrating on wiping out Bin Jubeil’s five satellite Hezbollah positions where 300 Hizballah fighters are trapped; Ain Ebel, Hannine, Deble, Yaroun and Rmaich.

The Hezbolah forces are trapped and have no way to escape or receive reinforcements. Monday night, Israeli forces dropped leaflets over these villages offering them the option of surrenduring and saving their lives. They could then become part of a `prisoner exchange' for the Israeli hostages held by Hezbollah.

Israel also admitted capturing two Hezbollah prisoners.

"The two prisoners are located in Israel and will be held here with the aim of interrogating them," Brig. Gen. Alon Friedman told Israel Army Radio.

On the diplomatic front, there are some interesting feathers floating in the wind.
Condi Rice appears to be trying to split off Syria from its alliance with Iran.

In fairly moderate language Rice said that the United States' poor relationship with Syria is `overstated' and indicated an openness to working with Damascus to resolve the crisis. She has, of course made it clear that part of any deal involves Hezbollah being disarmed.

"We have a framework for a way forward, which is of course Resolution 1559, which was also expressed in the G8 Statement," Rice said before meeting Israeli PM Olmert. "Its implementation will help to bring stability, and it will help to bring peace, and it will help a democratic Lebanon to fully emerge. I have no doubts that there are those who wish to strangle a democratic and sovereign Lebanon in its crib, and we must not let that happen, either."

And Arab heavyweights Egypt and Saudi Arabia were apparently pushing Syria to end its support for Hezbollah, according to Arab sources in Cairo.

Of course, Iran is reacting severely to any idea of its proxy hezbollah being disarmed.. A “storm” is brewing in the Middle East and will “strike violently,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters yesterday in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. “A storm is near in the Middle East and this storm will turn against the enemies of humanity and strike violently,” Ahmadinejad said. Has he got something planned?

Stay tuned...