Ma'an -- Tension prevailed on both sides of the border after Israeli forces resumed routine activity in the area where deadly clashes took place Tuesday between Israeli and Lebanese soldiers.
The Israeli forces managed to cut down the tree which ignited the skirmishes, Israel's Army Radio reported. The army said it had the right to remove trees if they hinder visibility and make Israeli forces vulnerable to attacks.
The radio report asserted that heavy Israeli forces deployed in the area signaling a clear message to Lebanon. Armored vehicles had been stationed in the area to protect Israeli machinery used to cut down the tree which ignited Tuesday’s clashes.
Israel and Lebanon blame each other for the brief exchange of fire that left one Israeli soldier, two Lebanese troops, and a Lebanese journalist dead by Tuesday afternoon.
UNIFIL, the interim UN force stationed along the border area between Israel and Lebanon, released findings saying that the trees being cut by the Israeli army were located south of the Blue Line on the Israeli side, as alleged by Israeli officials at the time.
The trees, on the Lebanon side of the border fence, appear to have in fact been on Israeli-controlled lands, with the fence and the interim borders not aligning in several places.
"Following the exchange of fire between the Lebanese army and the Israeli army across the Blue Line in El Adeisse yesterday, the UNIFIL investigators were on the ground and commenced investigations," UNIFIL said in a statement. "The investigations are still ongoing and the findings will be intimated on conclusion of the investigations."
The statement added: "The UN position is that the Blue Line must be respected in its entirety by all parties. UNIFIL is in contact with both the parties to keep the situation under control and to ensure that there is no violation of the Blue Line in this area."
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