Russia has demanded that Lebanon take action against the network of Hezbollah terror tunnels revealed by Israel under the two countries' shared border, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported Monday.
So far, four Hezbollah tunnels snaking under the Israel-Lebanon border have been unearthed by the IDF as part of an extensive operation to neutralize the underground passageways.
According to the report, Moscow has made it clear to Beirut that the tunnels violate U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted to end the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel, and the Kremlin has further demanded that the Lebanese army deal with the tunnels on its territory.
Israel's counter-tunnel operation, launched on Dec. 4, has so far been very careful not to infringe on Lebanese sovereignty while exposing the tunnels.
The reported Russian demand followed a visit to Moscow last week by an Israeli military delegation.
Russian sources told the British publication that the demand was made regardless of Hezbollah's culpability in digging the underground grid, adding that Russia backs the Israeli operation, known as Operation Northern Shield.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri have both downplayed the chances of the Israeli operation leading to any escalation on the border, saying that as long as Israel does not violate Lebanese sovereignty, there would be no reason for fresh hostilities in the sector.
Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council is poised to discuss Hezbollah's terror tunnels during its next session, set for Wednesday.
