U.N. forces in Lebanon "Israeli forces smashed positions"

U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon say Israeli forces have smashed U.N. positions.

According to U.N. peacekeepers, Israeli forces used two excavators and a bulldozer on the 7th local time to destroy some sections of the fence and concrete structures at peacekeeping positions in southwestern Lebanon.

When the peacekeepers protested, the Israeli army responded, "Nothing happened in the seriousness."

"The deliberate and direct destruction of clearly identifiable U.N. property by Israeli forces is a blatant violation of international law and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701," the U.N. peacekeeping force said.

"This week, two blue barrels marking the 'blue line' drawn between Lebanon and Israel were destroyed, and I witnessed firsthand the Israeli military removing one of them," it said.

The peacekeeping force emphasized, "Pressure is being applied through various channels, but we will continue to conduct observation and reporting duties in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1701.

The peacekeeping force was created by a U.N. Security Council resolution after Israel invaded Lebanon in 1978 and consisted of more than 10,000 multinational forces from 50 countries.

Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 to end the ground war between Israel and Hezbollah, stipulates that Israeli forces will be fully withdrawn from Lebanon, and that only Lebanese troops and peacekeepers will be stationed south of Lebanon's Ritani River, except Hezbollah.