Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on the UN peacekeeping forces to pressure Israel to stop violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the bulldozing works within Lebanese territories.
Mikati made the appeal during a meeting with Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, Chief of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), at the Grand Serail in Beirut, according to a statement by Lebanon’s Council of Ministers on Monday.
Lebanon reaffirms its commitment to provisions of the international Resolution 1701 and coordination with the UNIFIL to maintain stability along the borders, the statement quoted Mikati as saying.
The Prime Minister stressed in the statement that “Lebanon adheres to its right to recover its occupied lands and not to abandon them.”
Lebanon’s southern border witnessed increased tensions over the past three days as Israeli forces clashed with Lebanese citizens protesting against the Israeli military’s construction of a barrier near the border, Xinhua news agency reported.
Claiming the barrier was being built on Lebanese territory, the protesters threw stones at Israeli forces, who responded by firing tear gas grenades.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces said that Lebanese civilians tried to tear down the barrier while throwing stones at the troops, which responded with “crowd dispersal means”.
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