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Hizbullah Sniping at Israeli Homes Using Antitank Missiles
(Ha'aretz) Adi Hashmonai - On Jan. 7, a hotel in Metula took a direct hit from an antitank missile fired by Hizbullah, the 12th building in the town to be hit; 120 have been damaged. In Kibbutz Manara, 10 buildings, including the dining hall kitchen, have taken a direct hit, and 80 have been damaged. Hizbullah's use of precision antitank missiles against civilian targets is unprecedented. The list of communities hit by antitank missiles spreads along the entire length of the Lebanese border. Scores of homes, public buildings, chicken coops, businesses and vehicles have been hit in the moshavim Avivim, Dovev, Zar'it and Shtula, and the kibbutzim Misgav Am and Sasa, and other communities. Since the start of the war, four Israeli civilians and two soldiers have been killed by direct antitank missile fire, and many others wounded. To date, the state has evacuated 50,000 Israelis from communities located within 3.5 km. of the border. But the recent strike on a base on Mount Meron revealed that Hizbullah has antitank missiles with a 10-km. range, which puts more communities within a direct-line-of-sight from Lebanon that have not yet been evacuated. Israel has no countermeasure that would give residents even five seconds' warning to seek shelter, or intercept incoming missiles.