UPDATE - UN, Lebanon, Israel officials discuss border issues

ADDS DETAILS

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Military officials from Lebanon, Israel, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) met on Wednesday to discuss recent developments along the Israeli-Lebanese border, according to Israeli media.

The meeting took place at UN headquarters in the Ras an-Nakura area on the Israeli-Lebanese border, Israeli Channel 10 reported.

The meeting tackled recent developments after the Israeli army launched a military operation on Tuesday to find and destroy cross-border tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.

Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col, head of the UNIFIL mission, said in a statement that a technical team will be dispatched to Israel to investigate Israeli allegations of Hezbollah tunnels.

He stressed the importance of ensuring UNIFIL's full access to all locations along the Blue Line, the line created by the UN in 2000 to demarcate Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon.

The commander appealed to both sides to refrain from taking any unilateral action that could adversely affect the situation.

UNIFIL forces observe both sides' commitment to the agreements on the border.

In 2006, Israel launched a war against Hezbollah during which at least 1,200 people, mostly Lebanese civilians, were killed.