The London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on Monday that Russia had conveyed a message to the Lebanese government that they had to deal with Hezbollah’s tunnels.

According to the report, the Russians conveyed a message to the government in Beirut that UN Resolution 1701 adopted at the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006 should not be taken lightly. It was also reported that the Russians told the government that the Lebanese Army had to deal with the tunnels in their territory.

According to the newspaper’s source, the Russians turned to the Lebanese regardless of Hezbollah’s responsibility for the tunnels. The move is consistent with the Israeli statements in Jerusalem that will see the Lebanese government responsible for actions that would harm Israeli sovereignty.

Last week, a delegation of senior IDF officers headed by Major-General Aharon Chaliva left Moscow for a meeting with their counterparts in the Russian army. The IDF Spokesperson stated that among the issues discussed by the officers was the military operation to locate the tunnels along the Lebanese border known as Operation Northern Shield.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke about the operation recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Prime Minister reiterated Israel’s policy of preventing Iran from establishing itself in Syria and acting against the aggression of Iran and Hezbollah.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)