Lebanon’s PM calls for “caution” after border tensions with Israel
Beirut, Jul 28 (efe-epa).- Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Tuesday called for “caution” in the coming days after a border incident with Israel.
Diab accused Israel of “violating the sovereignty of Lebanon with a dangerous military escalation,” a day after Israeli warplanes flew over disputed southern areas of Lebanon.
“I ask for caution in the coming days, because I fear that things will get worse in light of severe tension on our border,” Diab tweeted after a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council and talks with President Michel Aoun.
It came hours after an exchange of fire took place on the border between the two countries over an alleged attempt by the Hezbollah Shiite group to infiltrate into the Israeli territory.
The pro-Iranian group denied its members tried to sneak into the Israeli territories.
Diab called on the United Nations to “condemn Israeli aggression and impose the implementation of resolution 1701” approved by the United Nations Security Council in 2006 to end a war between both parties.
The war, which lasted for 34 days, left at least 1,200 Lebanese people dead, mainly civilians, and 156 Israeli fatalities, mainly military.
Diab also accused Israel of “trying to modify the tasks” of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon southern the Arab country and attempting to “reduce the number of the members” of the UN mission.
Aoun condemned on Twitter “the attack by the Israeli enemy”, which represents “a threat to stability in southern Lebanon”.
On Monday, Israel opened fire at what it claimed to be “a Hezbollah terror squad” that had tried to infiltrate its territories.
Hezbollah vowed last week to avenge the death of one of its members in an attack in Syria that has been attributed to Israel.
Four other people also died in that incident.
Hezbollah spoke out directly to deny a claim by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that members of the Lebanese Shiite group tried to infiltrate Israeli territory on Monday.
In a statement on Monday Hezbollah affirmed that it would retaliate for the killing in Syria.
“Our response to the martyrdom of the Mujahid brother Ali Kamel Mohsen, who was martyred in the Zionist aggression on the outskirts of Damascus International Airport, is definitely coming, and the Zionists only have to wait for the punishment for their crimes,” the statement said.
The IDF have repeatedly attacked Hezbollah and other foreign forces in Syria that support President Bashar al-Assad.
Lebanon and Israel have no diplomatic ties and remain technically in a state of war.
Israel has invaded its northern neighbor on several occasions and occupied a swath of south Lebanon from 1978 to 2000. EFE-EPA
amo-ar-cgs/ta/rb
