All eyes were on Lebanon’s southern border on Tuesday after the Israeli army said it tracked cross-border attack tunnels dug by “Hezbollah” and started an operation to destroy them in a move that is expected to increase tension between the two sides.
Hezbollah on Tuesday watched the operation but remained silent, while sources close to Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri refused to comment on the Israeli move.
President Michel Aoun’s office said he followed up on developments at the southern border area in a series of phone calls with Speaker Nabih Berri, Hariri and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.
“The Lebanese senior officials assessed the current situation in light of the available information and the dimension of the Israeli operation,” a communique said, adding that the President asked the security agencies to follow up closely on the current situation along the southern border.
From the Lebanese side of the border, army units and UNIFIL forces had deployed to prevent any escalation or destabilization in the area.
The Lebanese army command confirmed in a communique that the situation on the border remains calm and stable in the wake of Israel's announcement of its "Northern Shield" operation to look for alleged tunnels.
"The situation is under close follow-up," the communique read, confirming its forces were fully prepared to confront any emergency.
The Israeli move came hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Brussels where he met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Political sources in Tel Aviv said the “urgent” meeting between the two men tackled developments related to Iran’s increasing activities in Lebanon rather than in Syria.
“Anyone trying to harm Israel will pay a heavy price,” Netanyahu said Tuesday, adding that Tel Aviv would continue other actions, overt and covert, in order to ensure Israel's security.
Later, Tel Aviv asked for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the Hezbollah tunnels.
In Washington, the White House gave full backing to the Israeli operation.
“The US strongly supports Israel’s efforts to defend its sovereignty,” President Donald Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton said.
