(Beirut, 16th) Lebanon has accused Israel of constructing a concrete wall along the southern border that crosses the temporary “Blue Line” boundary, and has called for an official complaint to be submitted on the issue to the United Nations Security Council.
According to Xinhua News Agency and Reuters, Lebanon’s Presidential Office issued a statement on Saturday (November 15), requesting the country’s permanent delegation to the UN to urgently file a complaint with the Security Council regarding the Israeli military’s construction of a barrier that crosses the “Blue Line”.
The Blue Line, demarcated by the United Nations, separates Lebanon from Israel as well as the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In 2000, the Israeli military withdrew from southern Lebanon to positions defined by the Blue Line.
In the statement, Lebanese President Aoun said that the complaint should include relevant statements from UN agencies to refute Israel’s denial of crossing the boundary, and to confirm that the barrier has prevented residents in southern Lebanon from accessing Lebanese territory.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement on Friday (November 14), saying that peacekeepers had conducted a survey in October of the concrete wall built by the Israeli military southwest of the village of Yaroun along the southern border.
The results showed that this section of wall had indeed crossed the Blue Line, obstructing local Lebanese residents’ access to more than 4,000 square meters of Lebanese territory.
UNIFIL stated that the survey results had been conveyed to the Israeli military with a request for the removal of the wall.
In November, peacekeepers also discovered a new wall built by the Israeli military southeast of Yaroun. Survey results showed that parts of the wall again crossed the Blue Line.
UNIFIL was established in 1978 and consists of over 10,000 soldiers and about 800 civilian personnel from 50 countries, operating in an area from the Litani River in the north to the Blue Line in the south.
At the end of October, President Aoun stated that, to end Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, Lebanon was prepared to negotiate with Israel, but Israel continued to respond with attacks and lacked sincerity for negotiations.
Earlier this month, Aoun again called for diplomatic negotiations with Israel. However, Hezbollah in Lebanon urged Aoun and other officials not to ‘fall into the trap of negotiations with Israel’, claiming that such dialogue poses an ‘existential threat’ to Lebanon’s sovereignty.
The Blue Line, demarcated by the United Nations, separates Lebanon from Israel as well as the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In 2000, the Israeli military withdrew from southern Lebanon to positions defined by the Blue Line.
In the statement, Lebanese President Aoun said that the complaint should include relevant statements from UN agencies to refute Israel’s denial of crossing the boundary, and to confirm that the barrier has prevented residents in southern Lebanon from accessing Lebanese territory.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement on Friday (November 14), saying that peacekeepers had conducted a survey in October of the concrete wall built by the Israeli military southwest of the village of Yaroun along the southern border.
The results showed that this section of wall had indeed crossed the Blue Line, obstructing local Lebanese residents’ access to more than 4,000 square meters of Lebanese territory.
UNIFIL stated that the survey results had been conveyed to the Israeli military with a request for the removal of the wall.
In November, peacekeepers also discovered a new wall built by the Israeli military southeast of Yaroun. Survey results showed that parts of the wall again crossed the Blue Line.
UNIFIL was established in 1978 and consists of over 10,000 soldiers and about 800 civilian personnel from 50 countries, operating in an area from the Litani River in the north to the Blue Line in the south.
At the end of October, President Aoun stated that, to end Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, Lebanon was prepared to negotiate with Israel, but Israel continued to respond with attacks and lacked sincerity for negotiations.
Earlier this month, Aoun again called for diplomatic negotiations with Israel. However, Hezbollah in Lebanon urged Aoun and other officials not to ‘fall into the trap of negotiations with Israel’, claiming that such dialogue poses an ‘existential threat’ to Lebanon’s sovereignty.