Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, on Tuesday accused Israel of violating Lebanon’s sovereignty also cautioned against escalating tensions on the border, after Israel said it thwarted an attempted attack by Hezbollah.
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Diab, during a Supreme Defence Council meeting, said that Israel assaulted Lebanon’s sovereignty again and violated Resolution 1701, through a dangerous military escalation.
On Monday, the Israeli military said it opened fire on a squad of militants who crossed the border into Israel from Lebanon.
The pro-Iranian Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah denied Israel’s claims that it was involved in clashes or an infiltration attempt.
“I call for caution in the coming days because I fear that things will slip toward the worst in light of the severe tension on our borders with occupied Palestine,” Diab said.
The UN resolution 1701 ended 33-days of war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in July 2006.
Earlier, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated the warning he issued the previous day to Hezbollah against any attack on his country.
“Everything that is happening at the moment is the result of an attempt to establish a military presence in our region by Iran and its proxies in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.
Israel and Iran are staunch regional rivals.
Netanyahu, however, noted that the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was serving the interest of Iran at the expense of the Lebanese state.
“We will do whatever it takes to defend ourselves, and I suggest Hezbollah take this simple fact into account.
“Israel is prepared for any scenario,“ he said.
Iran has been a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since a pro-democracy uprising erupted against his regime in 2011.
Earlier, the Israeli army reinforced troops on its Northern border as tensions rose with Hezbollah, which had accused Israel of killing one of its militants in an airstrike outside Damascus on July 20.
A Lebanese security source in Southern Lebanon told dpa that heavy aerial activities were registered over Lebanese regions bordering Israel.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), however, urged maximum restraint following Monday’s exchange of fire.