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A clash on the Israel-Lebanon border left at least two Lebanese soldiers, an Israeli soldier and a Lebanese reporter dead on Tuesday, August 3rd. The clash started when Lebanese troops fired at an Israeli army unit that was cutting down trees that could serve as cover to fighters near the UN-administered border between Lebanon and Israel. The border, referred to as the Blue Line, was drawn after the 2000 withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon, and has been disputed since. Both sides blamed each other for Tuesday’s clash, but on Wednesday the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as Unifil, denied the Lebanese accusation that Israeli troops had crossed into Lebanese territory, and confirmed that the Israeli unit had not crossed the Blue Line. Although Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak asserted that the clash was not orchestrated by senior figures of the Lebanese army, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he nonetheless views the Lebanese government as responsible for the clash. An Israeli military official told reporters that Lebanese troops have upped aggression toward Israeli soldiers in past months, due to what Israel suspects is a concerted weapons buildup by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, as well as increasing Hezbollah influence on the Lebanese Army. Hezbollah was not involved in the clash, but leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel against any future attack.

GUEST: Jackson Allers, Journalist, Editor, Film maker based in Beirut, Lebanon, reporter for Free Speech Radio News

Read Jackson Allers’ work at jacksonallers.wordpress.com.