BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Lebanese forces were on high alert following reports that Israeli armored vehicles approached the border of the contested Shebaa Farms region.
Lebanese military sources to Israeli newspaper Haaretz said three armored vehicles and a civilian automobile advanced on Shebaa Farms, prompting Lebanese forces to scramble tanks and soldiers in response.
Israel seized Shebaa Farms from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War. The United Nations, in resolutions dealing with the matter, confirmed Israeli forces have retreated from occupied lands, though Syria and Lebanon contend the withdrawal is not complete until Shebaa Farms is liberated.
Border tensions between Israel and Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks. Lebanon says Israel has violated its sovereign territory on several occasions, while Israel accuses Shiite militant group Hezbollah of preparing an assault.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday downplayed the events, saying it was unlikely to lead to violence. He warned Beirut, however, that, now that Hezbollah was part of the government, no distinction could be made from the two parties if militants attacked Israeli targets.
Hezbollah fought Israel in a 34-day campaign in 2006. U.N. Resolution 1701, which secured a cease-fire agreement, calls on Hezbollah to lay down its weapons while urging Israel to respect Lebanese sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Hashem Safi al-Din, chairman of Hezbollah's executive council, said the "war of 2006 will seem like a joke" if Israeli launches another attack on Lebanon.
