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| Israel Calls for International Action Against Hezbollah Tunnels | Israel Calls for International Action Against Hezbollah Tunnels |
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| JERUSALEM — Hezbollah has committed “an act of war” by digging tunnels under Israel’s border with Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, calling on the United Nations to halt what he called a “grave violation” of Israel’s sovereignty. | JERUSALEM — Hezbollah has committed “an act of war” by digging tunnels under Israel’s border with Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, calling on the United Nations to halt what he called a “grave violation” of Israel’s sovereignty. |
| Speaking at a news conference ahead of a United Nations Security Council discussion about the tunnels, Mr. Netanyahu demanded that Lebanon take action and called on the council to order the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to “deepen its operations.” The Security Council discussion pushed by Israel and the United States and the news conference were both part of a campaign by Mr. Netanyahu’s government to attract international attention to the issue. | Speaking at a news conference ahead of a United Nations Security Council discussion about the tunnels, Mr. Netanyahu demanded that Lebanon take action and called on the council to order the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to “deepen its operations.” The Security Council discussion pushed by Israel and the United States and the news conference were both part of a campaign by Mr. Netanyahu’s government to attract international attention to the issue. |
| For more than two weeks, an Israeli military operation has exposed and blocked tunnels dug by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia that is backed by Iran. Israel has portrayed this as part of a broader regional effort to curb Iran’s influence. | For more than two weeks, an Israeli military operation has exposed and blocked tunnels dug by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia that is backed by Iran. Israel has portrayed this as part of a broader regional effort to curb Iran’s influence. |
| “This is not merely an act of aggression. It’s an act of war,” Mr. Netanyahu told reporters at Israel’s Parliament. “It is part of a war plan, I would say,” he added, referring to Hezbollah’s suggestions that its fighters would try to infiltrate Israel in a future conflict. | “This is not merely an act of aggression. It’s an act of war,” Mr. Netanyahu told reporters at Israel’s Parliament. “It is part of a war plan, I would say,” he added, referring to Hezbollah’s suggestions that its fighters would try to infiltrate Israel in a future conflict. |
| “Their goal,” he said, “has been to penetrate our territory, to kidnap our people, including civilians, murder civilians and conquer the northern piece of the Galilee,” referring to areas of northern Israel that border Lebanon. | “Their goal,” he said, “has been to penetrate our territory, to kidnap our people, including civilians, murder civilians and conquer the northern piece of the Galilee,” referring to areas of northern Israel that border Lebanon. |
| The Israeli military said Wednesday that it had exposed a fourth tunnel running from Lebanese territory into Israel. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said it ran from the southern Lebanese village of Ramieh to the area of Zarit, an Israeli border community where residents complained years ago of hearing strange knocking sounds underground. | The Israeli military said Wednesday that it had exposed a fourth tunnel running from Lebanese territory into Israel. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said it ran from the southern Lebanese village of Ramieh to the area of Zarit, an Israeli border community where residents complained years ago of hearing strange knocking sounds underground. |
| The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or Unifil, said it had confirmed the existence of all four tunnels and found so far that two of them cross the border. | The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or Unifil, said it had confirmed the existence of all four tunnels and found so far that two of them cross the border. |
| Unifil said Monday that the tunnels violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. Unifil said it had “requested the Lebanese authorities to ensure urgent follow-up actions” in accordance with their responsibilities under the resolution. | Unifil said Monday that the tunnels violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. Unifil said it had “requested the Lebanese authorities to ensure urgent follow-up actions” in accordance with their responsibilities under the resolution. |
| Israel’s operation to expose the tunnels began two days after the Israeli police recommended that Mr. Netanyahu be indicted on bribery, fraud and other charges — the third corruption case against him this year. | Israel’s operation to expose the tunnels began two days after the Israeli police recommended that Mr. Netanyahu be indicted on bribery, fraud and other charges — the third corruption case against him this year. |
| Opposition politicians suggested that the prime minister was trying to divert attention from his own troubles. But the military chief of staff said the anti-tunnel operation had been approved by the cabinet nearly a month earlier. | Opposition politicians suggested that the prime minister was trying to divert attention from his own troubles. But the military chief of staff said the anti-tunnel operation had been approved by the cabinet nearly a month earlier. |
| Mr. Netanyahu, who is also currently serving as defense minister and foreign minister, said he expected Unifil to have access to any site in southern Lebanon, unrestrained by Hezbollah or the Lebanese army, and to be able to get to any area quickly “before they cover up and destroy the evidence.” | Mr. Netanyahu, who is also currently serving as defense minister and foreign minister, said he expected Unifil to have access to any site in southern Lebanon, unrestrained by Hezbollah or the Lebanese army, and to be able to get to any area quickly “before they cover up and destroy the evidence.” |
| Hezbollah is considered the strongest military force in Lebanon, and it gained valuable battlefield experience fighting with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who is also backed by Iran, against rebels. The group has also been acquiring more advanced weaponry. | |
| Mr. Netanyahu struck a less bellicose note than he and some of his ministers had in the past, appearing to seek a middle path between highlighting the urgency and danger of the situation, while appealing to others to take action on the Lebanese side of the border, rather than Israel. | Mr. Netanyahu struck a less bellicose note than he and some of his ministers had in the past, appearing to seek a middle path between highlighting the urgency and danger of the situation, while appealing to others to take action on the Lebanese side of the border, rather than Israel. |
| Tensions between Israel and Lebanon heightened in September after Mr. Netanyahu, in a speech at the United Nations, pinpointed three locations near Beirut’s airport where he said Hezbollah had established factories to turn inaccurate weapons into precision-guided missiles. That led many people to ask whether Israel would bomb the factories, an act that could trigger another war. | Tensions between Israel and Lebanon heightened in September after Mr. Netanyahu, in a speech at the United Nations, pinpointed three locations near Beirut’s airport where he said Hezbollah had established factories to turn inaccurate weapons into precision-guided missiles. That led many people to ask whether Israel would bomb the factories, an act that could trigger another war. |
| But Israel has since downplayed the threat from those missiles, and Mr. Netanyahu asserted on Wednesday that Hezbollah had shut down the three sites after his speech. | But Israel has since downplayed the threat from those missiles, and Mr. Netanyahu asserted on Wednesday that Hezbollah had shut down the three sites after his speech. |
| “We are denying them precision weaponry by various means,” he said. “They planned to have thousands of precision missiles and they have a few dozen at best.” | “We are denying them precision weaponry by various means,” he said. “They planned to have thousands of precision missiles and they have a few dozen at best.” |
| Reveling in his roles as Israel’s top diplomat and security chief, Mr. Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of “committing a double war crime. It’s targeting Israeli civilians, while hiding behind Lebanese civilians.” Hezbollah, he said, was now using one-third of the houses in villages in southern Lebanon for its military purposes. | Reveling in his roles as Israel’s top diplomat and security chief, Mr. Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of “committing a double war crime. It’s targeting Israeli civilians, while hiding behind Lebanese civilians.” Hezbollah, he said, was now using one-third of the houses in villages in southern Lebanon for its military purposes. |
| The Lebanese army had been “unwilling or unable or both to do anything” about the tunnels, he said, but that did not absolve Lebanon of culpability. | The Lebanese army had been “unwilling or unable or both to do anything” about the tunnels, he said, but that did not absolve Lebanon of culpability. |
| Mr. Netanyahu sounded skeptical about the chances of the Lebanese Army taking on Hezbollah. Instead, he said, it “very often cooperates with Hezbollah, it certainly doesn’t challenge Hezbollah and it often directs its weapons against us.” | |
| At the United Nations Security Council session in New York, all members demanded adherence to Resolution 1701, but there was no indication they were prepared to take more muscular action for now. The ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon, who were invited to the session, used it to vent longstanding grievances with each other’s country. | At the United Nations Security Council session in New York, all members demanded adherence to Resolution 1701, but there was no indication they were prepared to take more muscular action for now. The ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon, who were invited to the session, used it to vent longstanding grievances with each other’s country. |
| Ambassador Amal Mudallali of Lebanon, who spoke first, said many Lebanese feared Israel’s actions were a “prelude to another aggression,” given the history of Israeli military interventions in southern Lebanon. Ms. Mudallali also denounced what she described as the one-sidedness of Israel’s complaint about Resolution 1701 violations, given what the Lebanese have called Israel’s frequent breaches of Lebanon’s sovereignty “by land, air and sea” in contravention of that resolution. | Ambassador Amal Mudallali of Lebanon, who spoke first, said many Lebanese feared Israel’s actions were a “prelude to another aggression,” given the history of Israeli military interventions in southern Lebanon. Ms. Mudallali also denounced what she described as the one-sidedness of Israel’s complaint about Resolution 1701 violations, given what the Lebanese have called Israel’s frequent breaches of Lebanon’s sovereignty “by land, air and sea” in contravention of that resolution. |
| “Israel breaches Lebanon airspace daily,” she said. If Lebanon were to call for an emergency Security Council meeting over Israeli violations, she told the other ambassadors, “you would be here 24-7.” | “Israel breaches Lebanon airspace daily,” she said. If Lebanon were to call for an emergency Security Council meeting over Israeli violations, she told the other ambassadors, “you would be here 24-7.” |
| Ambassador Danny Danon of Israel said the tunnels were obvious evidence of a Hezbollah plot to invade, and he complained that both the Lebanese military and Unifil had done nothing until the Israelis announced the discovery of the tunnels. | Ambassador Danny Danon of Israel said the tunnels were obvious evidence of a Hezbollah plot to invade, and he complained that both the Lebanese military and Unifil had done nothing until the Israelis announced the discovery of the tunnels. |
| He accused Lebanese Army officials of “working for Hezbollah,” and said Unifil was “not working to fulfill its mandate in the region.” | He accused Lebanese Army officials of “working for Hezbollah,” and said Unifil was “not working to fulfill its mandate in the region.” |
| Mr. Danon held aloft what he described as a detailed map of the Lebanese border village of Kafr Kila and asserted that it had been transformed into a “terror terminal” by Hezbollah operatives. | Mr. Danon held aloft what he described as a detailed map of the Lebanese border village of Kafr Kila and asserted that it had been transformed into a “terror terminal” by Hezbollah operatives. |
| “What does the international community expect Israel to do in the face of this grave danger?” Mr. Danon asked. “Imagine what will happen to this village in case we have to defend ourselves.” | “What does the international community expect Israel to do in the face of this grave danger?” Mr. Danon asked. “Imagine what will happen to this village in case we have to defend ourselves.” |
| Addressing the Lebanon ambassador, he said, “Why are you putting your people in danger?” |