UNIFIL denies reports of Israeli incursion in south Lebanon

Aug 25, 2008, 13:36 GMT

Beirut - The United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) Monday denied reports of an Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon.

'Israeli troops did not violate the Blue Line near Marjeyoun, as was widely reported in Lebanese media one day earlier,' deputy UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said.

'There was no crossing of the (Israeli Army) through the Blue Line,' Tenenti said, adding that UNIFIL troops had been in the area.

Lebanese media, quoting security sources, said that eight soldiers belonging to the Israeli military had crossed about 100 metres into Mais al-Jabal in the Marjeyoun area for some 15 minutes before retreating to Israel.

UNIFIL sources said the Israeli troops had only approached the technical fence separating the two countries.

This did not represent a breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

'This is not a violation,' Tenenti stressed.

UNIFIL has repeatedly raised the issue of Israeli violations of Resolution 1701 through almost daily overflights of Lebanon.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra reported on Friday that Hezbollah had purchased air-defence systems at a recent international arms fair in Moscow.