Monday, December 23, 2024

The UN keeps peace in southern Lebanon – this Hezbollah tunnel suggests otherwise

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The vehicle churned over rough terrain, kicking up clouds of dust on the hillside overlooking Israeli towns and villages that have been coming under rocket fire for months.

Israeli soldiers lined the dirt roads, tracks and pathways as the vehicle climbed high through dry brush and trees, vast swathes of which had been flattened by convoys of tanks and armed forces.

Arriving at the tunnel, the views into Israel stretched almost to Haifa, while up the hill a UN watchtower was clearly in sight.

The two tunnels revealed by the IDF are just 10 metres apart and served two different purposes for Hezbollah.

One was an observation post, full of cameras used to collect intelligence on Israeli villages across the border.

The other was used to fire anti-tank missiles at Israeli villages until Israeli soldiers invaded the south west of Lebanon last week.

They are just two out of some 100 other Hezbollah posts found in the one sq km which IDF General Yiftach Norkin’s division has taken control of.

Mr Norkin insisted that the army is continuing to coordinate with the UN troops who are still in their compound, which overlooks two tunnels in the area.

“I want to emphasise that the UN isn’t our enemy. Sometimes we make mistakes and we investigate the incidents,” he said.

The UN later released a statement saying two Israeli tanks had broken through the gates of a UN base. It follows reports that Israeli tanks fired on UN bases last week, injuring two soldiers.

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