(Adds military probe, paragraphs 6-9) JERUSALEM, Nov 12 (Reuters) - An Israeli general in charge of troops along the Lebanese border resigned on Sunday after being accused of failing to prevent the capture of two soldiers that triggered a month-long war with Hezbollah guerrillas. Brigadier-General Gal Hirsch is the second Israeli general to quit amid widespread public criticism of military failures during the 34-day war that ended with a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in mid-August. "He has submitted his resignation," a military spokeswoman said of Hirsch, who, according to Israeli media reports, stepped down after a military probe accused him of "improper functioning" after the two soldiers were seized on July 12. Hezbollah abducted them in a cross-border raid in which eight other troops were killed. Israel responded with heavy aerial bombardments of Lebanon. The war killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 157 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Hirsch had been head of the Galilee Brigades, which is responsible for patrolling Israel's northern border. Israeli reservist general Doron Almog, who headed the first of a number of internal probes into events leading up to the war, told reporters on Sunday after presenting his findings: "The conclusion is that the kidnappings could have been prevented on July 12." The probe also found there had been a "huge gap" between military regulations and how orders were carried out in the field, an army statement said. The military's chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz, said later on Sunday he had taken on board the conclusions of the probe and had accepted Hirsch's resignation. ANGER Israel's Maariv newspaper said Almog had called Hirsch and recommended he resign before he published his findings on the abductions. It quoted Hirsch as expressing anger over the conclusions, telling colleagues the report was unfair. "To say I don't deserve to be a commander is quite absurd. I don't deserve this," Hirsch said. Israeli media had reported earlier that the probe accused him of failing to follow safety procedures that may have prevented the capture of soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. He had failed to drill troops about the possibility of being captured despite repeated warnings that Hezbollah planned to try to seize soldiers, Israel Radio said. In mid-September, the top general in charge of Israel's northern front, Udi Adam, quit his command after the army was embarrassed by the nearly 4,000 rockets Hezbollah fired at the Jewish state during the war. Israel's failure to secure the soldiers' release has hindered full implementation of a U.N. Security Council resolution that urged that they be freed though stopped short of putting it as a condition for ending the war. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul)
