Tenenti says Hezbollah tents violate 1701, UNIFIL seeking to remove them

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti has noted that nothing will change in the work of the U.N. peacekeeping force with the latest renewal of its mandate, adding that partnership with the Lebanese Army will continue.

In an interview with al-Hurra television, Tenenti pointed out that the U.N. resolution that extended the Force’s mandate contains the same wording that was used in 2006.

Acknowledging that UNIFIL is not working in a 100% safe area of operations, Tenenti said the Force will continue its mission despite the recent “crimes” that have been committed against its members, in reference to the December incident in the town of al-Aqbiyeh that left a UNIFIL peacekeeper dead.

As for the two tents that Hezbollah has erected in the occupied Shebaa Farms and the containers belonging to an environmental group accused of being an arm of Hezbollah, Tenenti said the tents are a violation of Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war, noting that UNIFIL is working on removing them.