Israel envoy to UN: International community must disarm Hezbollah
“The time has come for the Security Council to respond firmly against Hezbollah’s repeated threats against the citizens of Israel and its ongoing military buildup,” writes Danny Danon to UNSC.
By DANIELLE ZIRIUpdated: MARCH 25, 2016 00:31Lebanon's Hezbollah members carry Hezbollah flags during the funeral of Adnan Siblini, who was killed while fighting in Syria(photo credit: REUTERS)
NEW YORK – Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon sent a letter to the Security Council on Wednesday demanding that they condemn the latest threats by Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.Nasrallah threatened on Monday that if a war breaks out with Israel, his Lebanese Shi’ite group will strike targets in the Jewish state “without any limits.”“If the Israeli army escalates its aggression against Lebanon, Hezbollah will strike all the strategic targets in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the nuclear facilities,” Hezbollah-linked TV station Al-Manar quoted Nasrallah as saying in a televised interview on Al-Mayadeen.“Hezbollah possesses all the details about the positions of the petrochemical, biological and nuclear facilities across Palestine,” he added.In his letter to the Security Council, Danon made clear Israel will not accept any violation of its sovereignty, and will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens.“The time has come for the Security Council to respond firmly against Hezbollah’s repeated threats against the citizens of Israel, and its ongoing military buildup,” he wrote. “The international community must act to disarm Hezbollah.”Danon also applauded the recent report by the secretary- general which detailed Hezbollah’s many violations of Security Council Resolution 1701, but took the council to task for refusing to mention Hezbollah by name in its summary of the document.“The secretary-general’s report expressed deep concern at the readiness and willingness of Hezbollah to use its capabilities and warned that their possession of arms and attempts to procure sophisticated weapons provoke conflict,” Danon noted. “Yet, the Security Council did not take heed of the secretary-general’s warnings.”Danon reached out to the Security Council as well as to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon several times over the past month about the threat from Lebanon.The Israeli mission to the United Nations had also put out a report showing that Lebanon has violated Resolution 1701 a total of 2,374 times in 2015. Resolution 1701 was passed in 2006 and was intended to end that summer’s Second Lebanon War. It called for a disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.
It also stated that no armed forces other than the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the Lebanese army will be posted south of the Litani River.According to the Israeli report, 1,079 incidents in which armed individuals were cited freely roaming in south Lebanon were recorded in 2015. In addition there were 589 violations of the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon, and 653 Hezbollah patrols along the border fence. Two incidents in which Israel was attacked, including two rockets fired at Nahariya were also recorded.The report noted that 51 violent demonstration against the IDF took place as well.Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.