UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Portolano
Photo: Roi Kais
UNIFIL: Watchtowers on the border will be used by Lebanese military only
Maj. Gen. Luciano Portolano told Ynet that new towers, which were erected in Southern Lebanon in a short amount of time and have caused concern in Israel, will be used for observation only; he further stated that they will not fall into the hands of Hezbollah.
The new watchtowers which were recently erected on the Lebanese border with Israel will be used for observation by the Lebanese military only, according to statements made by United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Head of Mission Maj. Gen. Luciano Portolano.
Portolano attempted to assuage Israeli concerns over the towers, which have been built in several strategic points, and within just several weeks. Talking to Ynet on Friday, he said that UNIFIL doesn't foresee a war in the border area in the near future, despite occasional harsh statements by representatives from both sides of the potential conflict.
One of the watchtowers in question. (Photo: Avihu Shapira)
The Italian Portolano, who will be leaving his office in July, spoke at Tel Aviv University, mentioning that similar watchtowers exist on the Israeli side of the border as well. He said that the Lebanese have also agreed that the only body to use the towers shall be the Lebanese military, strongly implying that Hezbollah will not have access to them.
Major General Portolano. (Photo: Roi Kais)
When asked about the possibility of war erupting in the region, Portolano said that chances aren't high, but anything was possible. According to him, Israel and Lebanon are both committed to UN Security Council resolution 1701, which brought the Second Lebanon War to an end, despite some tactical violations of it over the years.
