Lebanon to file UN complaint against Israel

2011-08-03 04:02:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

BEIRUT (BNO NEWS) -- Lebanon will file a complaint on Wednesday against Israel at the United Nations after the troops of both countries exchanged fire along their common border earlier this week, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Lebanon will file a complaint tomorrow [Wednesday] against Israel through the Lebanese commission to the United Nations (UN), at the backdrop of resolution 1701 violation and the infiltration of Israeli soldiers into Lebanese territories in Wazany yesterday," the statement said as reported by Lebanon's National News Agency.

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) opened fire on Monday after a seven-man unit belonging to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) crossed the Blue Line that separates the two countries, near the Wazzani River area in southeastern Lebanon. Israeli troops, however, said the skirmish occurred during a military drill in Israeli territory. No casualties were reported.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed the exchange of fire and said it had launched an investigation into the incident.

UN envoy to Lebanon Michel Williams on Tuesday warned that incidents such as Monday's exchange of fire could quickly turn into a war after meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who affirmed Lebanon's commitment to defend its sovereignty by "all legitimate means".

"This was a very disturbing incident ... you can go from an incident like this to war within a few hours. That is the reality," UN Special Coordinator Michel Williams told reporters, according to the Daily Star.

"The good thing is that nobody was injured. The bad news is that we cannot afford any incidents like this," he added.

Monday's skirmish is the first in the region since 10 demonstrators were killed in Lebanon and another 112 wounded after they attempted to enter Israel in May during a Nakba Day march. Gunfights, however, are rare since the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-03

I will be interested in the follow-up to this story.

Well, I hope they put their complaint in writing and use exclamation marks!!!