Army Files Complaint to UNIFIL against Officer who Reportedly Crossed to Israel

The Lebanese army filed a complaint with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) against a Spanish officer who crossed the barbed wire and met with Israeli troops.

According to the complaint, the army considered the incident a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.

The Spanish officer crossed the Fatima Gate in southern Lebanon, facing the Israeli town of Metulla, held talks with Israeli troops for 20 minutes and then returned back to the Lebanese territories.

Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) reported on Monday that the officer will be transferred to the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.

A Lebanese army source told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that the incident is an “unjustified violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

“We demanded the UNIFIL’s Command to take strict punitive measures against the (Spanish) officer as he violated the agreement signed with the peacekeeping mission, which prevents any of its members from crossing into Israel,” the source said.

The army will follow up the incident, and determine its stance in light of the measures taken against the officer, the source noted.

The daily reported that Lebanon “demanded the UNIFIL to deport the Spanish officer.”

Last week, the Israeli military began building a wall that will run several kilometers along part of its border with Lebanon.

The Israeli public radio said the wall would be several meters high and intended to protect the Israeli border town of Metulla from fire coming from the Lebanese side. It is expected to take several weeks to build.

Israel and Lebanon are technically at war but military officers from the two sides meet regularly under the auspices of UNIFIL to coordinate security along their joint border.