Israel calls for UNIFIL freedom of movement, reports 'flagrant Hezbollah violations'
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the potential for escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border is growing because of "ongoing provocations" and "flagrant violations" by Hezbollah.
"Iran is pushing Hezbollah to act," Gallant said in a meeting with Guterres in New York on Monday night.
The minister mentioned the Shebaa tents erected by Hezbollah in a disputed area, patrols, and dozens of military compounds along the border, as he called on the U.N. to “act immediately” by strengthening UNIFIL's authority in the region and ensuring its freedom of movement.
The mandate of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, which expires Thursday, was extended last year with a modification that Hezbollah criticized as "a violation of Lebanese sovereignty."
The Security Council on Wednesday is to meet on extending UNIFIL's mandate.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed hassan Nasrallah warned on Monday evening against renewing on the same terms the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the country's south. Under the modified mandate the peacekeeping force "is allowed to conduct its operations independently", without coordination with the Lebanese army.
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/299933 |