Iran behind Shebaa Farms attack: Netanyahu

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Iran of being behind an attack by Hezbollah on Israeli troops in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms region one day earlier.

"It is Iran that stands behind the attack on us yesterday from Lebanon," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Israeli daily Haaretz at a memorial marking one year since the death of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"This is the same Iran that is trying to reach a deal now with world powers that will leave it with the capability of developing nuclear weapons – a deal which we vehemently oppose," he said.

"We will continue to defend ourselves against every threat, both near and far. Arik [Sharon] understood very well the Iranian regime's character, and what he said then still stands today," Netanyahu added.

Two Israeli troops were killed and seven others wounded on Wednesday when Lebanon's Hezbollah movement attacked two Israeli military vehicles in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms region, which is claimed by Lebanon.

A UNIFIL soldier – part of a Spanish contingent – was also killed in the violence.

UNIFIL has not accused either Hezbollah or Israel of killing the soldier.

However, a Lebanese security official told AA that the peacekeeper had been killed by Israeli artillery fire.

Wednesday's violence came ten days after Hezbollah accused Israel of killing six of its fighters – along with six Iranians – in a drone strike in the Syrian town of Quneitra.

The slain fighters had included two Hezbollah commanders and the son of Imad Mughniyah, a Hezbollah leader killed by a car bomb in Syria in 2008.

Until now, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the airstrike that killed the Hezbollah men and the Iranians.

For over two years, Hezbollah has been openly engaged in the conflict in Syria, where it continues to fight alongside Syrian regime forces.

In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in which more than 1,200 Lebanese – mostly civilians – were killed by devastating Israeli bombardments on southern Lebanon.

The conflict also left 160 Israelis – mostly soldiers – dead.