Army: Israeli Troops Briefly Cross Blue Line at Houla

The Army Command announced on Friday that Israeli troops briefly crossed the Blue Line into Lebanon earlier in the morning before returning to Israel.

It said that five troops opened the technical gate at the southern region of Houla and then crossed the Blue Line for a brief time.

They then retreated to Israeli territories.

The army promptly deployed patrols in the area in coordination with troops from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

UNIFIL Spokeswoman Antoinette Midday later described the violation as dangerous and provocative.

She told the National News Agency that some four or five Israeli troops crossed the Blue Line into Lebanon.

They entered a few meters into the territory, where they stayed for some 30 minutes before leaving, she added.

Crossing the Blue Line is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 and the land excursions are very dangerous because they could be provocative, she stated.

Midday revealed that UNIFIL Commander Major General Paolo Serra later contacted the Israeli army command to inquire about Friday's violation.

He called on it to withdraw its troops without any delay, stressing that Israel should completely respect the Blue Line, she added.

Despite resolution 1701 that calls for respecting the Blue Line and Lebanon's territorial integrity, Israel has repeatedly breached the declaration, violating the southern border and crossing into Lebanese airspace.