Israeli military reveals "new Hezbollah outpost" adjacent to Israeli towns

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-22 21:30:03|Editor: xuxin
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JERUSALEM, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- A senior official from Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) Northern Command said on Monday that the IDF has revealed a reconnaissance point of Lebanese Hezbollah organization on the border with Israel in the north.

According to the senior official, the new observation point is operating under the guise of an NGO called "Green Without Borders."

Last year, the IDF claimed to reveal five such different locations.

In 2006, Hezbollah and the IDF fought a deadly war which left the south of Lebanon virtually destroyed by Israeli forces. Israel was the target of many missiles fired by the militant organization.

UN resolution 1701 ended the war. A UN peacekeeping force, known as the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), was tasked with keeping the fragile cease-fire in tact. No presence of any armed forces other than the Lebanese army or UNIFIL is allowed in southern Lebanon.

Israel has repeatedly said Hezbollah is breaching the resolution by continuing its military activity in the region.

"This NGO is not really concerned with planting trees, it's a way to conceal activities," the senior IDF official said. "They are more focused on taking pictures and less focused on planting trees. It is clear these people are not environmentalists, but trained operatives preparing for an attack against Israel."

According to him, the IDF has spotted "high-end cameras" at the site, meant to collect intelligence about Israeli military activity and the nearby Kibbutz of Misgav Am.

"We expect this to be dealt with, for UNIFIL to live up to its mandate," said the senior officer. "We are committed to (UN resolution) 1701, continuation of stability and prevention of tension between the two sides is the right course of action."

There has been relative calm between the two sides since the war over a decade ago, with several isolated cross border incidents. Last summer, when the UN extended the mandate for the peacekeeping force, the UN Security Council warned of renewed conflict should tensions boil over.

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