UN force is concerned about Hezbollah tunnels
UN peacekeepers said they had confirmed the existence of four tunnels dug in areas of Lebanon close to northern Israel, as tensions flared between troops along the frontier.
It was not immediately clear if all the tunnels were cross-border passageways, but the UN Interim Force in Lebanon had previously confirmed at least two such tunnels.
Meanwhile, a video circulated on social media showed Lebanese troops, accompanied by UN peacekeepers, asking Israeli soldiers to retreat to “behind the tree”, after Israeli troops crossed a border demarcation line.
Lebanese soldiers were on alert after Israeli troops unrolled barbed wire along the border, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said.
On December 4, the Israeli military announced an operation called “Northern Shield” to destroy tunnels it said had been dug by Hezbollah under the border.
The Lebanese group has not directly commented on the operation but its deputy leader, Naim Qassem, this month issued a warning that Hezbollah’s rockets could strike “any point” inside Israel, including Tel Aviv.
The UN force on Monday said the tunnels were of “serious concern” and that it had called on Lebanese authorities to ensure follow-up actions to resolve the issue.
Also on Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Lebanese Army commander Gen Joseph Aoun met UN commander Gen Stefano Del Col to discuss the situation, the state news agency reported.
Mr Hariri assured Gen Del Col that Beirut was fully committed to the implementation of UN resolution 1701 and respected the Blue Line.
The Lebanese Armed Forces, he said, would conduct patrols and “deal with any flaw in the implementation of resolution 1701 from the Lebanese side”.
But the UN “must shoulder its responsibilities in facing the daily violations by Israel of Lebanese airspace and territorial waters”, Mr Harriri said.