Lebanon Files U.N. Complaint over Israeli Violation, Shami to Meet Ban

Amid increased Israeli military activity on the border with Lebanon in the past few days, the Lebanese permanent mission to the U.N. filed Tuesday a complaint against Israel with the Security Council over a recent border violation.

On January 24 an Israeli patrol crossed the technical fence into a disputed area between the occupied Shebaa Farms and the liberated outskirts of the town of Kfar Shouba.

In its complaint, Lebanon described this breach as a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, international law and the Charter of the United Nations. It also warned of the impact of such violations on international peace and security.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops on Tuesday patrolled the northern part of the occupied Ghajar village all the way to the occupied al-Abbasiyeh town and the Israeli settlement of al-Mtolleh which overlooks the Lebanese territories.

Troops conducted repair works on the barbed wire fence and the surveillance cameras that monitor the Lebanese territories as Israeli warplanes and drones hovered over the area.

For their part, UNIFIL peacekeepers patrolled the Lebanese side of the border all the way to the northern part of the Ghajar village, in order to monitor the Israeli activity.

In this regard, diplomatic sources told the Central News Agency that Lebanon's foreign ministry is waiting for a report from the Lebanese Army Command regarding the patrols conducted by Israeli forces along the border with Lebanon, especially in al-Abbasiyeh.

"Lebanon will file a complaint with the Security Council" should the army report any breach of Lebanese sovereignty, diplomatic sources added.

Furthermore, caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Shami has contacted Lebanon's permanent envoy to the U.N. Nawwaf Salam, instructing him to demand an urgent meeting with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.

Shami will urge Ban to work on "safeguarding Lebanon's territorial and maritime sovereignty and natural resources … according to UNSCR 1701 (2006) which is based on UNSCRs 425 and 426 (1978)."