ARABS-ISRAEL - Jan. 23 - Hizbollah Hits Israeli Positions.

Hizbollah guerrillas attack Israeli military positions in the Shebaa Farms along the Israel-Lebanon border. No casualties are reported. Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer says Syria, the main powerbroker in Lebanon, and Iran have given Hizbollah permission to fire on Israeli positions. He says: "No shooting can take place without Syria's approval and certainly not without the impetus and backing of Iran. This is very serious". Early on Jan. 24, the Israeli Army used a helicopter missile to kill senior Hamas official Bakr Hamdan, who, Israeli officials say, is responsible for dozens of attacks on Israelis. Hamas promised retaliation for the helicopter attack. In another sign of escalation, Hamas-made Qassem-1 rockets were fired at the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip but caused no injuries.