NNWN/ Beirut, 2017-06-24

Accusing the Lebanese militant group  of using an environmental advocacy group as a cover, Israel has filed  a complaint to the U.N. Security Council in this regard. Israel has accused the militant group Hezbollah of setting up observation outposts along the border on land purportedly used by an environmental advocacy group.

In the complaint, Israel said the posts violate the U.N.-brokered cease-fire that ended a war with Hezbollah in 2006 and asked the U.N. to order the Lebanese government to remove the posts.Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon wrote to the Security Council and Secretary General Antonio Guterres stating that Hezbollah's continued military buildup and destabilizing activities in southern Lebanon have serious repercussions on both regional stability and the ability of the Lebanese government to effectively control its country. In the letter, he said the world "cannot continue to turn a blind eye to Hezbollah's flagrmeant violations" of U.N. resolutions.

Israel said that the posts were built on spots used by an environmental group called "Green Without Borders."The Israeli military on Thursday released photos and video of what it said were the Hezbollah observation posts. One video showed a pair of uniformed men climbing onto a watchtower. Israel says the environmental group has received funding in the past from Hezbollah. Meanwhile, UNIFIL, the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, said it was looking into the Israeli allegations. There was no immediate comment from Lebanon or Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite group, has since built up an arsenal that is now believed to include well over 100,000 missiles and rockets aimed at Israel.