Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said in an interview published Wednesday with the British newspaper Guardian that Hizbullah
will remain armed and fully operational in southern Lebanon,
despite the newly deployed UN forces, until Israel
withdraws from all Lebanese territory and ceases its air, sea and land violations.
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Berri warned that Hizbullah will resume its military campaign unless Israel withdraws from the disputed Shebaa farms area and other pockets of territory occupied during this summer's 34-day war.
"If Israel does not pull out we will have to drive them out," Berri said.
"The UNIFIL presence will not hinder Hizbullah's defensive operations. The resistance doesn't need to fly its flags high to operate. It's a guerrilla movement; it operates among the people," he added.
Berri also expressed concern that United Nations forces could be involved in gathering information that could fall into the hands of Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad.
"We don't want to interfere in their work, but we will be watching closely. We have to be careful, but we have a very effective intelligence service and we are used to watching for Israeli spies," he said.
Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr, however, said Tuesday that the Lebanese army has begun implementing UN Resolution 1701 on the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, and has recently seized weapons from Hizbullah gunmen.
In a press conference in Beirut, Murr noted that "It's a natural thing, it's our duty to confiscate the weapons. The Lebanese army is stationed in the south of the country in order to defend the border and prevent any other military body from operating there."
"What we are able to say is that the resistance organization is cooperating and avoiding all military presence in the south of the country," he said.
However, Murr did not report what amount of arms was confiscated and where.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told journalists last week that the Lebanese army had clear instructions to seize any weapons found in the south.
"We reiterate our respect for all those who struggled and fought in the south, but there will be no weapons in the south apart from the army's," he said.
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