Defense Minister Mofaz will hold a special consultation with the top
IDF brass today, in the wake of the grave incident in which Sgt. Yan
Rochansky, 22, was killed in a Hizbullah missile attack.

Defense Minister Sha’ul Mofaz will hold a special consultation with the top
IDF brass today, in the wake of the grave incident on the northern border yester
day. Sgt. Yan Rochansky, 22, of Herzliya was killed, and another soldier was
seriously wounded by a Hizbullah-launched anti-tank missile. The rocket hit
their extra-large D9 bulldozer as they were clearing mines placed by Hizbullah
terrorists along the border.

Rochansky is the 10th soldier, and 16th Israeli, to have been killed by
Hizbullah terrorists since Israel withdrew from Lebanon three and a half years ago.
It is assumed that Israel will retaliate. IDF Northern Commander Maj.-Gen.
Benny Ganz said last night, “I would advise those on the northern side of the
border [in Lebanon] to start to worry.”

The missile hit the D9 while its two-man crew was engaged, together with
others, in clearing a minefield that was discovered two weeks ago near Moshav
Zar’it, due north of Maalot. The work was postponed until yesterday because of the
inclement weather in the area.

Ganz further said that he would not advise Hizbullah to use its missile power
in an attempt to pressure Israel regarding the captives. “If this is the
case,” he said, “our response is liable to stop not at the border, but much
further north.” Israel agreed two months ago to release some 400 prisoners in
exchange for kidnapped civilian Elchanan Tenenbaum and the bodies of three soldiers
killed by Hizbullah in October 2000. The deal has been held up, however,
because Israel does not agree to release terrorist Samir Kuntar. Kuntar and three
other terrorists infiltrated into Israel by sea in 1979, abducted and murdered
Danny Haran and his young daughter Einat, and killed policeman Eliyahu
Shachar. Danny’s wife hid in a side room with their 2-year-old daughter Yael, who
became the fourth victim of the attack when her mother attempted to stifle her
cries. Kuntar is the only remaining imprisoned terrorist from that attack, as two
of his colleagues were killed in the ensuing chase by security forces, and a
third was released from Israeli prison in the Jibril exchange in 1985.

Sources close to Defense Minister Mofaz say that the deadly attack yesterday
proves that Syrian dictator Assad’s words in favor of negotiations with Israel
are meaningless. Hizbullah is backed by both Syria and Iran.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 21st, 2004 and is filed under hotnews.