Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres that the situation evolving in Lebanon in which Iran is seeking to establish advanced precision weapons is “intolerable for Israel.” During Lieberman’s meeting with Guterres in Jerusalem that was held after the United Nations Chief met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, Israel’s top defense official stressed that “Israel is determined to prevent any security threat against its citizens,” amid growing challenges across the Middle East. Lieberman presented the Secretary General with intelligence regarding the situation in Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, which included material showing Hezbollah’s presence in southern Lebanon, which the Israeli Defense Minister insisted was a clear indication of flagrant violations of UN Security Council resolution 1701. Lieberman revealed intelligence perpetuating to show “Hezbollah placing, within the homes of Lebanese residents’ in villages and cities along the border, military equipment, including missiles and rockets, which are pointed at Israeli citizens.” Lieberman emphasized that Israel has “no desire to harm those uninvolved,” but it “will not remain indifferent to a situation in which (Hezbollah) shoots at Israeli citizens,” vowing that the Israel Defense Forces “will act swiftly with force and determination.”
Defense Minister Lieberman concluded the meeting by urging Secretary-General Guterres to exert his influence on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, which the Israeli top defense official emphasized “must fulfill its mandate and enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” a resolution that aimed at resolving the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. Lieberman further warned that “If the Iranian-backed Hezbollah continues to breach the resolution, the situation might deteriorate into a reality of renewed hostilities.”