Israel struck back by land, sea and air late last night in retaliation for Saturday’s terrorist attack on the Israeli coast in which 32 civilians were killed.
What was described as a mopping up operation began before midnight local time. The targets were said to be Palestinian bases throughout Southern Lebanon. The military spokesman announced that the Israeli force included tank units, artillery and infantry, supported by gunboats and aircraft.
According to a communique issued here early this morning “the purpose of the operation is to root out the terrorist bases near the border and to root out their special operational bases from which terrorists set out on missions deep into Israeli territory.”
The spokesman emphasised that it was not Israel’s intention to harm the civilian population, the Lebanese army or the inter-Arab (that is to all intents and purposes Syrian) force. The target was only the terrorists and their helpers in order to safeguard the population of Israel.”
“The objective of the operation,” the spokesman added, “is not retaliation for terrorist crimes, for there can be no retaliation for the murder of innocent men, women and children, but to protect the state of Israel and its citizens from incursions by members of Al Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, who use Lebanese territory in order to attack citizens of Israel.”
Reports from Beirut said that the Israelis moved tanks across the frontier, deployed naval forces near Sidon and Tyre, and bombed several villages. A Palestine Liberation Organisation official said that Israeli fighter bombers had pounded the towns of Bint Jbeil in the south central border region, the nearby village of Maroun er Ras and the town of Taireh.
In America the ABC news bulletins said that information given to them indicated that this was not a light raid. Heavy concentrations of troops were moving towards the village of Al Ahran. Roads near the border were cut.
ABC said that there also appeared to be a second thrust developing, aiming towards Sidon and Tyre, both of which have heavy concentrations of Palestinian refugees. Eyewitness reports from Tyre had earlier described a town living in a state of acute fear. No one was out on the streets, except members of the Syrian peace-keeping force. Residents spoke of seeing “massive concentrations” of Israeli troops ranged behind the border gates.
The whole of the Middle East has been waiting apprehensively since the Palestinian raid inside Israel on Sunday which left more than 30 dead. Extreme pressure has been exerted on Mr Begin not to go through with his vows of vengeance. America is understood to have made a strong appeal to Jerusalem to hold its hand.
Yesterday President Sadat openly condemned the PLO strike as an “irresponsible action” and indirectly appealed to Mr Begin not to hit back. In Beirut the Lebanese Foreign Minister called on the American ambassador there in an effort “to prevent any danger that may befall Lebanon and the Lebanese people.”
Diplomatic observers see two prime threats in Israeli retaliation. One is the possibility that the unstable government and fragile peace in Lebanon will be utterly shattered. The second holds many consequences for the future of President Sadat’s struggling peace initiative.
In his reaction yesterday President Sadat ruled out a meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Mr Begin, until Israel softened its stand in peace talks.
“I am against any action against civilians,” President Sadat said. “We had the same experience a few weeks ago in Cyprus, and we have condemned this. Anything against civilians I shall always condemn. This is an irresponsible action and I wonder, really, what the result of such acts will be”
