ISRAEL: The death of an Israeli soldier fatally shot near the Lebanese border causes some citizens to worry about escalating violence while others suggest the border will remain calm

Record ID: 397951

  • Title: ISRAEL: The death of an Israeli soldier fatally shot near the Lebanese border causes some citizens to worry about escalating violence while others suggest the border will remain calm
  • Date: 16th December 2013
  • Summary: HAIFA, CEMETERY (DECEMBER 16, 2013) (REUTERS) TOMBSTONES IN MILITARY CEMETERY WHERE ISRAELI SOLDIER KILLED IN LEBANESE SNIPER ATTACK IS DUE TO BE BURIED VARIOUS OF CHAIRS FOR CROWD OF MOURNERS MORE OF CEMETERY VARIOUS OF HAIFA STREET SCENES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ITAY PETERKOVKSI, HAIFA RESIDENT, SAYING: "I'm not scared, just things like that happen and we cannot know wh
  • Embargoed: 31st December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: War / Fighting,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAO3LSB2RH6Q9PDFJNDBWTJ3QN
  • Story Text: A day after an Israeli soldier was killed in a Lebanese sniper attack, Israelis voiced mixed opinions on Monday (December 16) regarding the possibility of escalation.
    Israel said its soldier was driving near the border fence at its westernmost point of Rosh Hanikra on Sunday (December 15) when he was shot by a Lebanese army sniper. Israeli troops who searched the frontier area later shot at two Lebanese soldiers who "made suspicious movements", hitting one of them, an army spokeswoman said.
    The 31-year-old soldier's hometown was in the northern city of Afula and his funeral is due to be held later on Monday at the Haifa military cemetery.
    In Haifa, a northern Israeli city that has experienced rocket attacks from Lebanon in the past, residents voiced mixed reaction to the news.

    "Things like that happen and we cannot know what happened there," said Itay Peterkovski, adding that he did not feel threatened by the violence.

    "I don't think that it is going to be worse. I think that it's just one case and we don't have to develop it to big situation," said Orly Kremmer, another Haifa resident.
    Other residents recalled the 34-day war fought between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia in 2006 and expressed concern over a similar situation developing again.

    "This can get to escalation in every day and we are scared fo people's lives in the north," said Yonatan Simchon.

    "Haifa passed a rather traumatic war some seven years ago and hopefully we are not going to see the same thing happening again," added Ilan Reizner.
    Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner said Israel had heightened its state of preparedness along the border but Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israeli, Lebanese and U.N. military officers would meet later on Monday to defuse tension after the fatal shooting.
    Israel has lodged a complaint with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978.
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