JERUSALEM, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Israeli and U.N. officers say clashes on the border with Lebanon could have been avoided if the Israeli Northern Command had waited for U.N. forces.
An Israeli Defense Force contingent and armored bulldozers crossed the security fence Wednesday night to sweep the area between the fence and the international border for bombs, The Jerusalem Post reported. Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot ordered the advance without waiting for U.N. peacekeepers.
Critics said that UNIFIL troops could have been a buffer between the Israeli forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces. Some officers believe that Eizenkot wanted to demonstrate that the Israeli army can operate freely everywhere in Israel even in areas outside the security fence.
The general's supporters say he notified UNIFIL of his plans.
