US rejects Israeli request for Lebanon sanctions

JERUSALEM

The U.S. has rejected an Israeli request to impose sanctions on Lebanon over cross-border tunnels allegedly dug by Lebanese group Hezbollah, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Wednesday.

During a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for imposing sanctions on Beirut and the Lebanese army, citing their alleged responsibility for violating UN resolution 1701, which put an end to Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.

While Pompeo rejected the Israeli request, he agreed to draw up sanctions on Hezbollah, the Israeli newspaper said.

According to Haaretz, Washington made clear that the U.S. and Lebanon have close military ties and there is no interest in undermining them.

There was no comment from either the Lebanese government or Hezbollah on the report.

Last week, the Israeli army launched a military operation to “thwart” and “expose” tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.

Since then, the Israeli army announced it had discovered three tunnels leading into Israeli territory from southern Lebanon.

In 2006, Israel launched a war against Hezbollah during which at least 1,200 people, mostly Lebanese civilians, were killed.