Report: Berri Says Israeli Tunnel Tale ‘Questionable’

In addition to receiving a telephone call from President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri received a similar call from the army leadership, the main objective of which was how to deal with the latest Israeli developments, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Berri also received a phone call from the U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard. It was clear that the Ambassador adhered to the backing position of the US administration to an Israeli army operation to destroy tunnels allegedly built by Hizbullah under the border with Lebanon, added the daily.

Doubting the Israeli claims, Berri said: “The Israeli tale about the existence of a tunnel in Kfarkla is questionable. Lebanon is asking to be provided with the details that determine the location of this tunnel and the validity of the Israeli claims about its existence.”

He stressed that Lebanon will not stand idle shall Israel expand digging into Lebanese territories. “Israel is free to dig in the territories it occupies, but if it expands the digging towards Lebanese territories then we will have another position,” said the Speaker.

He assured that Lebanon will “express a clear stance during a tripartite meeting expected on Wednesday in al-Naqoura,” and chaired by UNIFIL head with the Lebanese army and Israeli army.

Tripartite meetings have been held regularly under the auspices of UNIFIL since the end of the 2006 war. They have become an essential conflict management and confidence building mechanism between the parties.

The Israeli army said Tuesday it had detected Hizbullah tunnels infiltrating its territory from Lebanon and had launched an operation to cut them off.

"We have launched Operation Northern Shield to expose and thwart cross-border attack tunnels dug by Hizbullah terror organisation from Lebanon into Israel," Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus had said.