U.N.: Hizbullah Not Behind Rocket Strikes against Israel
U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy said Hizbullah was not behind the firing of rockets into Israel.
"We believe that the rockets launched (from Lebanon into Israel) were not fired by Hizbullah," Le Roy told a news conference in New York.
"Our judgment was not only based on this concept," Le Roy said, adding that a probe run by the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also shows that Hizbullah "has nothing to do with the firing of these rockets."
He said that one of the tasks of UNIFIL was to "look into who stands behind the rocket attacks" carried out in the border region, which falls under the peacekeepers” area of control.
Le Roy said that an investigation by U.N. peacekeepers, with the cooperation of the Lebanese army, is underway in the territory under UNIFIL”s area of control, to pin down the perpetrators.
Responding to a reporter”s question, Le Roy said: "I don”t think we cooperate with Hizbullah. However, we are happy that Hizbullah has condemned and denied any involvement in the rocket attacks."
Lebanese Information Minister Tareq Mitri recently said that Hizbullah has made it clear to the government that it was not behind the rocket strikes.
"Hizbullah has assured us that they remain committed to stability and Resolution 1701, and that is a euphemism for saying they are not involved," Mitri has said, referring to the U.N. Security Council resolution that brought an end to the devastating 2006 war between Israel and the Shiite group.
"We have absolutely no reason to think that Hizbullah might be involved," Mitri added.
He said the government had made high-level contacts with Hizbullah officials, who gave assurances that the party was keen on sticking to its commitment to stability in the country and avoiding a new conflict with Israel.
On the Lebanese border town of Ghajar, Le Roy said he expects an end to the Israeli-occupation of the northern part of the village "within a few weeks."