Caretaker Minister Mansour files complaint against Israel

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Adnan Mansour filed a complaint Wednesday on behalf of Lebanon against the Israeli violations of the blue line that took place Wednesday the 7th of August 2013, whereby Israeli soldiers stepped into a Lebanese minefield.

According to the complaint that was presented to the Lebanon's Permanent Mission in New York, the Israeli action forms a "flagrant violation" of Lebanon's sovereignty, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and threatens international peace and security.

Caretaker Minister Mansour requested that the complaint be raised to the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the presidency of the UN Security Council, in order to distribute the complaint to other Member States.

Mansour also requested the petition be referred to the presidency of the General Assembly of the United Nations and to issue it as an official document of the Assembly.

An Israeli foot patrol violated the blue line in the region of Labbouneh and crossed 400 meters into the Lebanese territories, and while infiltrating, a landmine detonated leaving a number of injuries, according to the statement issued by the Lebanese Armed Forces Command on Wednesday, 7th of August, 2013.

Accordingly, the Lebanese army troops deployed in the region, declared a state of alert and took the necessary measures on the ground, while the concerned authorities launched an investigation into the incident in cooperation with the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon.

For its part, the state-run National News Agency said four soldiers were wounded in a landmine explosion after crossing 150 meters into the Lebanese territories.

But a TV station close to Lebanon's Hezbollah, al-Mayadeen, said the soldiers were wounded inside the Lebanese border village of Labbouneh.

Israel fought a month-long war with Hezbollah in 2006 and sometimes there are cross-border exchanges of fire.

Israeli forces routinely patrol the border with Lebanon, which has been largely quiet since a war with Lebanese Hezbollah in 2006.