Israel pushes U.N. on Syrian weapons

JERUSALEM, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Israel is considering using force along the Syrian-Lebanese border if the United Nations fails to stop weapons smuggling.

Israel wants the United Nations to deploy troops along the border, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Sources told the newspaper Israeli Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot and UNIFIL commander Maj.-Gen. Claudio Graziano of Italy discussed Syrian arms smuggling in a meeting Tuesday in Safed.

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz suggested Tuesday that Israel would take measures to stop weapons traffic if the United Nations fails to put an end to the problem.

"We demand from all the international parties involved to put an end to the smuggling," Peretz said a briefing. "In the end, however, we will take responsibility and will do everything to defend the State of Israel."