Israel accuses Indian peacekeepers of helping Hezbollah

Jerusalem, Jul 21 (PTI) Israel has accused the Indian
troops part of the UN peacekeepers along its border with
Lebanon of doing nothing to prevent the infiltration of
Hezbollah supporters into its territory, but on the contrary
cooperated with them, a media report said.

In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and
the President of the UN Security Council Ruhakana Rugunda,
Israel accused an Indian contingent of United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of having done nothing to prevent
the demonstrators from crossing the border and even
cooperating with the group, 'The Jerusalem Post' reported.

"(The demonstrators) stood opposite the UNIFIL force,
(which did nothing), and worse than that, according to
statements made by the organisers of the demonstration, they
even cooperated with them," Israeli Ambassador to the world
body Gabriela Shalev wrote in the letter.

Fifteen Lebanese civilians had crossed into Israel
last Friday waving Hezbollah flags. The Israeli troops spotted
the group, but did not confront them as they returned to south
Lebanon minutes later.

This is not the first time when Tel Aviv has accused
Indian troops stationed in south Lebanon of having helped
Hezbollah.

Indian troops were blamed by Tel Aviv for not only
quietly watching the abduction of three Israeli soldiers by
Hezbollah in October 2000 but even assisting them after having
accepted bribes.

Shalev also lashed out at Hezbollah for its "grievous
violations of Resolution 1701," which included both the border
breach, as well as an attack by Lebanese villagers against
UNIFIL troops on Saturday who were investigating an explosion
in a suspected arms depot allegedly belonging to the group.

Both incidents "demonstrate an escalation and a
pattern of behaviour in Lebanon, that must be confronted,"
Shalev wrote. PTI HM
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