Lebanon to File Complaint with U.N. over Israeli Border Violations, Abductions
Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour called on Friday for filing a complaint with the United Nations Security Council over Israel's violations of the border and its kidnapping of Lebanese nationals.
The complaint comes after a 15-member Israeli commando forces crossed on Monday the border of the occupied Shebaa Farms in the South, and abducted Lebanese shepherd Youssef Hussein Rhayyel.
Rhayyel was kidnapped after the force advanced 600-800 meters into Lebanon, north of the al-Marsad military post.
In the evening, LBCI and al-Manar TV networks reported that Rhayyel was freed.
"Mansour tasked Lebanon's ambassador to the U.N. Nawaf Salam with filing the complaint with the Security Council,” the state-run National News Agency reported.
Mansour explained: “The kidnapping is another Israeli assault on Lebanon that include violating the border, Lebanese waters and airspace.”
"Such incidents are also a violation of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and of Lebanon's sovereignty.”
Last week, the Israeli army kidnapped two shepherds from a region near the southern town of Shebaa. They were released one day later following a mediation by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Kidnapping incidents of Lebanese residents by the Israeli forces are frequent.
On November 1, 2012, Israeli authorities handed over to U.N. peacekeepers a Lebanese shepherd who was arrested near the border in southern Lebanon a day earlier.
A 12-strong Israeli force kidnapped Ismail Khalil Nabaa while grazing his flock on the heights of Jabal al-Saddaneh, north of the U.N.-demarcated Blue Line, the NNA said.
The NNA reported on July 16, 2012 that an Israeli force failed to abduct two shepherds from southern Lebanon.
It detailed that 20 soldiers crossed the border at Mount Hermon and infiltrated 500 to 800 meters into Shebaa where it tried to kidnap Mohammed Qassem Hashem from Lebanon and Ahmed Haidar from Syria.
Also, Lebanese shepherd Youssef Mohamed Zahra was abducted in June 2012 by the Israeli army near Shebaa Farms.
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