BEIRUT, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will send a technical team to "ascertain facts" about alleged Hezbollah tunnels in Israel, a statement issued by the agency said Wednesday.
The statement came following a regular tripartite meeting, chaired by UNIFIL's Head of Mission and Force Commander Stefano Del Col, of senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) at the UN office in Ras Al Naqoura to discuss IDF activities south of the Blue Line to look for suspected tunnels.
The meeting, which had been scheduled before the start of the IDF's operation on its northern front Tuesday, aims at discussing the ongoing IDF activities to ensure that the overall calm prevails in the weeks ahead.
During the meeting, Del Col called on both sides to "avoid misunderstandings and ensure that security and stability along the Blue Line is maintained and reinforced."
He again stressed the "importance of ensuring that UNIFIL has full access to all locations along the Blue Line," while appealing for the support of the parties in reducing the "high level of rhetoric."
Del Col also called on the parties to refrain from any unilateral actions that could negatively affect the situation.
"All sides should be aware of the potential for a relatively minor incident to rapidly escalate into something more serious with unintended consequences," he added.
The parties to the tripartite meeting reaffirmed their commitment to Resolution 1701, and to continued stability along the Blue Line.
