LEBANON:THE FIRING of three Katyusha rockets by unidentified militants from Lebanon into northern Israel yesterday is thought unlikely to have been inspired by the country's large Hizbullah group.
Observers say the attack appeared to be an isolated incident rather than the much-feared opening of a northern front to put Israel under pressure. No group has admitted responsibility.
Israel fired back a salvo of at least five artillery shells.
Lebanese prime minister Fouad al-Siniora condemned both the rocket attack and the response.
"Prime minister Siniora regards what happened in the south as a violation of the international resolution 1701 and something he does not accept and rejects," a government statement said.
Information minister Tarek Mitri said Hizbullah had distanced itself from the attack.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 ended the July 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah, during which swathes of southern Lebanon were laid waste by Israeli bombs and almost 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed.
Reluctance to draw another harsh Israeli response is likely to stay Hizbullah's hand this time, despite loud warnings exchanged by Israeli officials and Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah over the past few days.
Israel said it held the Lebanese government responsible for the rockets, but was seen as having little taste for a second round.
Hizbullah emerged from the 2006 war with heightened stature in the Arab world after Israel failed to crush the group and stop the barrage of rockets into northern Israel. The group however seems keen to avoid provoking domestic anger by drawing the country into another painful battle with Israel, even though it promised to avenge the assassination of its military commander, Imad Mughnieh, in February 2008.
Most fingers of accusation for yesterday's rockets pointed at Palestinian factions in Lebanon.
Last week, Ahmad Jibril, leader of the Syrian-backed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command threatened to open a new front on Israel.
Timur Goksel, a Beirut-based security expert and former adviser to the Unifil peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, said the Popular Front was the most likely of the local Palestinian groups to be involved. "They have the most room for manoeuvre in the south, they are by and large tolerated."
Few factions had access to 122 mm Katyushas and the know-how to fire them, he added.
Mr Goksel believed there might be one or two such incidents if the assault on Gaza dragged on, but ruled out a new northern front. "No Palestinian group can afford to challenge the whole Lebanese society, military and leadership."