Tenenti: UNIFIL Has No Jurisdiction to Demarcate Lebanese-Israeli Maritime Border

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon spokesman Andrea Tenenti stated on Wednesday that the international force supports Lebanon and Israel’s discussion of issues of maritime security.

Commenting on the Lebanese army’s request from UNIFIL to demarcate the Lebanese-Syrian maritime border, he said: “The international force does not have the jurisdiction to demarcate this border.”

The buoy line at the Naqoura region has been set up by Israel after its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, and not by UNIFIL, he added.

Furthermore, this line has not been recognized by the Lebanese government and UNIFIL does not have the jurisdiction to monitor it, the spokesman said.

Tenenti stated that UNIFIL is concerned with the maritime security incidents that have taken place between Lebanon and Israel, revealing that this issue was brought up during the tripartite meeting between Lebanon, Israel, and UNIFIL that was held at Ras al-Naqoura on Monday.

He added that an agreement was reached during the tripartite meeting for UNIFIL to discuss these matters in bilateral meetings with the two concerned sides, emphasizing that the international force is keen on providing technical assistance to Lebanon and Israel.

Regarding the withdrawal from the village of Ghajar, he said that the issue requires some time to be resolved, but Israel is obligated to withdraw from it based on U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

On Monday, Lebanon proposed the demarcation of its maritime border with Israel during the tripartite meeting held at the UNIFIL headquarters in Ras al-Naqoura.

"Maintaining peace and stability was the goal of this tripartite meeting and I am happy that we were able to address all the issues in a constructive atmosphere," UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta Cuevas said Monday after chairing the meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli armies.

However, As Safir daily said Tuesday that the Lebanese army representative, Maj. Gen. Abdelrahman Shehaitli, called for the demarcation of the maritime border similar to the U.N.-drawn Blue Line that separates southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

Shehaitli asked Asarta to carry the Lebanese request to the U.N. to establish a "maritime Blue Line" that would help Lebanon control any violation of its territorial waters.

As Safir said that the Israeli army representative promised to reply to the Lebanese request during the next tripartite meeting.

The Central News Agency quoted a security source as saying that the conferees also discussed the importance of Israel's pullout from the northern part of the border village of Ghajar in compliance with U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.