Israel transfers largest army division from Gaza to Lebanese border

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi transferred the largest army division from the Gaza Strip to the border with Lebanon, where the Israeli army and Hezbollah are exchanging fire on a daily basis, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

Israeli Army Radio said that during recent discussions in the General Staff, the commander of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, called for the 36th Division, the army's largest regular division, to remain in the central Gaza Strip for increasing military pressure on the Hamas movement.

However, the head of the Operations Division, Maj. Gen. Oded Basyuk, proposed removing the division from Gaza toward the north to replace the reserve forces, according to the radio.

It added that the Chief of Staff ultimately decided to withdraw the 36th Division from Gaza and transfer it to the Lebanese border.

There was no information available on the timing of the transfer of the division.

The Israeli army has withdrawn from Gaza the 4th and 55th Reserve Brigades, the 7107th Combat Engineering Battalion, and the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade since late December.

Since Oct. 8 last year, the Israeli-Lebanese border has seen intermittent tension and sporadic exchanges of fire between the Israeli army on one side and Hezbollah and Palestinian factions on the other. This has resulted in fatalities and injuries on both sides and among Lebanese civilians.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi