(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson)
The Israel Foreign Ministry today instructed its Ambassador to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, to submit a letter to the UN Secretary General and the President of the Security Council in the wake of the firing of rockets from Lebanon this morning.
Ambassador Shalev noted in the letter that the firing of rockets constitutes a gross violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 and confirms Israel's contentions regarding the availability and use of weapons in southern Lebanon
Israel must protect its citizens from the growing threat of rockets being fired by terrorist groups supported by Iran and the extremist axis, and the shooting this morning reinforces Israel's demands to establish effective mechanisms to prevent arms smuggling into Lebanon. The prevention of arms smuggling – in Lebanon as in Gaza – is a vital element in achieving regional stability, as expressed among others in Resolution 1701.
Israel views the Lebanese government as responsible for maintaining quiet in southern Lebanon and from it, as well as for preventing the smuggling of weapons into its territory.