Russia Calls on Israel, Lebanon to Respect ‘Blue Line’ Border - Envoy to UN

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Israel and Lebanon should respect the border demarcation between the two countries, known as the "Blue Line", to avoid confrontations after the discovery of Hezbollah tunnels, the Russian representative to the United Nations, Safronkov, said.

"We are convinced that maintaining calm along the dividing line between Israel and Lebanon is necessary not only to prevent the escalation in this region, but also for stability in a broader context," Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vladimir Safronkov told the UN Security Council on Wednesday. "The Blue Line is not an internationally recognized border, and the commitments around it have a mutual character."

Commenting on building peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon after the discovery of the Hezbollah tunnels, Safronkov noted that the two countries needed to avoid emotional talk and respect each other’s sovereignty.

READ MORE: Israel Asks Russia to Condemn Hezbollah at UNSC — Netanyahu

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he addressed Russia ahead of the upcoming UN Security Council session and urged Moscow to condemn the activities of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Netanyahu's comment came after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed on Monday the existence of four tunnels along the Blue Line and said two of them cross into Israel.

The Blue Line was established in 2000 by the United Nations as a border demarcation to determine whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon.

Israel regularly conducts overflights into Lebanese territory in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the Israel-Hezbollah War.