UNIFIL Commander Says Israel Obligated to Withdraw from Northern Section of Ghajar
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Commander Maj. Gen. Luciano Portolano stressed on Wednesday that Israel is obligated to withdraw from the northern section of the village of Ghajar, as well as the areas adjacent to the Blue Line in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.
“Its presence in the area violates resolution 1701,” Portolano said in an interview with As Safir newspaper.
He pointed out that the matter is “nonnegotiable as the territory is Lebanese.”
“We have been firm in discussing the issue during all our bilateral and tripartite meetings with Israel,” Portolano said, considering it as a “priority.”
The U.N. official revealed that the UNIFIL “offered all the necessary facilitations to guarantee Israel's withdrawal from the area,” however, the Jewish state didn't respond to any of the demands.
Resolution 1701, which ended the Hizbullah-Israel war in 2006, expanded the mandate of U.N. troops in the South, which was originally formed in 1978 after the outbreak of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
It imposed a strict embargo on weapons destined for Lebanese or foreign militias in Lebanon, and pressed Israel to end violations of Lebanon's airspace and to withdraw from northern Ghajar.
“Since resolution 1701 was issued, the South witnessed yet its calmest periods in decades... All parties respect the Blue Line and responded to UNIFIL's efforts to prevent any escalation by containing all incidents.” Portolano noted.
The official said that “the security situation in the South is strategically different today than it was in 2006 due to the exerted endeavors by the UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces.”
“The situation in the area of operations of peacekeepers is currently stable.”
Portolano said that amid the regional developments, the UNIFIL is keen to guarantee the stability of the Blue Line.
H.K.
M.T.
29 April 2015, 09:02
45
both israel and hizbushaitan need to have this area contentious so they justify their armed conflicts.
29 April 2015, 09:57
35
According to Resolution 1701, Hizbullah is not allowed to be present south of the Litani River. They are in violation of the agreement as they have turned that area into a huge ammunition stockpile, hiding weapons and ammunition in villages - thus exposing the civilian population to bombardment by the Israeli Air Force.
29 April 2015, 14:49
41
We've heard these pretexts very often, but you never proved it dear hasbara agent. Actually, the falsity of these claims was proven:
"Israeli officials contend that the reason for the high fatality rate was not indiscriminate targeting by Israeli forces, but the Hezbollah military’s allegedly routine practice of hiding among civilians and using them as “shields” in the fighting. If Israeli attacks on Hezbollah forces also killed civilians and destroyed civilian homes, Israeli officials have argued, the blame lies with Hezbollah. The evidence Human Rights Watch uncovered in its on-the-ground investigations refutes this argument"
29 April 2015, 14:51
41
"On some occasions, our research shows, Hezbollah fired rockets from within populated areas, allowed its combatants to mix with the Lebanese civilian population, or stored weapons in populated civilian areas in ways that violated international humanitarian law. Such violations, however, were not widespread: we found strong evidence that Hezbollah stored most of its rockets in bunkers and weapon storage facilities located in uninhabited fields and valleys, that in the vast majority of cases Hezbollah fighters left populated civilian areas as soon as the fighting started, and that Hezbollah fired the vast majority of its rockets from pre-prepared positions outside villages."
29 April 2015, 14:53
41
In light of this, israelis appear as we thought: cowards who dare not face combattants, and prefer slaughtering civilians en masse to exert pressure on Lebanon, just like hostage takers would do.
29 April 2015, 14:55
31
And btw, we know no amount of unifil speeches or official declarations will make israel abide by any law, the only language they respect is that of a slap in their face.
29 April 2015, 15:14
24
"cowards who dare not face combattants, and prefer slaughtering civilians en masse to exert pressure on Lebanon, just like hostage takers would do. "
funny coz b
29 April 2015, 15:16
22
"cowards who dare not face combattants, and prefer slaughtering civilians en masse to exert pressure on Lebanon, just like hostage takers would do. "
funny coz bashar that you defend so fiercefully does the same but you call him a "resistant"... ah! pityful desperate M8 double standards.... barking like cowards that is for sure....
29 April 2015, 15:21
31
Yes "funny coz"... the only thing that made you react is the poke at israelis!!
You couldnt care less about HRW's observation that lebanese civilians were slaughtered by the hundreds by these animals, you just passed over it like it were nothing. And then you wonder how we all know you're not lebanese?
29 April 2015, 15:25
31
And no, despite your propaganda and your wildest dreams, the Syrian Arab Army does not do that, it is the israeli/qatari/saudi takfiri freaks who are slaughtering syrians.
29 April 2015, 15:48
23
mooowaten i am just stating facts.... never will you attack bashar for killing hundreds of civilains... but always here like a brave hezbi dog to attack israelis...
double standards as usual... if you were sooo objective you would attack BOTH as i do...
but we know your allegiance to bashar and Khamenei more than to Lebanon and its true TWO enemies.....
29 April 2015, 10:06
34
The situation near the border is indeed "stable"- Hezbollah is digging tunnels leading into Israel under UNIFIL (lack of) supervision, receiving weapons from Syria and Iran, building trenches by the border line, thus enjoying the status of a (non-sovereign) state within a state. Of course, one may argue that an Islamist organization with more long range missiles than most countries and bunkers in the heart of Beirut is a great peace promoter, but then, why would anybody need such effective UN forces?...
29 April 2015, 12:29
21
This is the area that Israel occupied during hassan's laou kountou a3lam 2006 divine victory, so there was no victory after all...
29 April 2015, 15:17
23
you re the number one apologist by defending hezbollah weapons giving israel all the pretextes to bomb lebanon....
29 April 2015, 15:29
31
hahahaha spoken like a true israeli. so we should disarm and just trust their king hearts to not bomb us? in what effing bubble do you live?
29 April 2015, 15:49
23
you are not praising lebanese sovereignty... the problem with you hezbi dogs is that you believe that hezbollah is Lebanon.... but i am here to remind you not to mix two antagonist things...
you NEVER praise Lebanon but merely hezbollaland...
little dog you are.
29 April 2015, 18:06
23
i am happy to disgust you both... that is what true patriots do to antilebanese people like you both who praise more a party than their own country and army!
tfeh on you both idiots
29 April 2015, 19:21
22
FT take a rest and go back to play with your doll...
true patriots ask for ONE army... not political parties above laws threatening the country...
but sure, you are a true "patriot" denying the country of a strong army deciding of peace or war... you prefer to let the job to a political party instead as a true believer in lebanese institutions you are...
now go and chew your iranian bone they throw at you, little dog.
29 April 2015, 22:37
11
pityful idiot FT asks for sovereignty through a party that pledged allegiance to iran...not from the lebanese army!
reinforce the army by asking hezbi integration in it then you ll have your full sovereignty of the lebanese state on lebanon....
but, hey, sure it seems you want iranian sovereignty over Lebanon.
seems you bark louder than me as each of my posts denouncing your stupidity drive you crazy and you get completely lost in your contradictions...
idiot you are, idiot you ll stay.
