WarSclerotic

Russia has demanded that Lebanon take action against ‎the network of Hezbollah terror tunnels revealed by ‎Israel under the two countries’ shared border, the ‎London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported ‎Monday.‎

So far, four Hezbollah tunnels snaking under the ‎Israel-Lebanon border have been unearthed by the ‎IDF as part of an extensive operation to neutralize ‎the underground passageways. ‎

According to the report, Moscow has made it clear to ‎Beirut that the tunnels violate U.N. Security ‎Council Resolution 1701, adopted to end the 2006 war ‎between Lebanon and Israel, and the Kremlin has ‎further demanded that the Lebanese army deal with ‎the tunnels on its territory.‎

Israel’s counter-tunnel operation, launched on Dec. ‎‎4, has so far been very careful not to infringe on ‎Lebanese sovereignty while exposing the tunnels.‎ The reported Russian demand followed a visit to ‎Moscow last week by an Israeli military delegation. ‎

Russian sources told the British publication that ‎the demand was made regardless of Hezbollah’s culpability in digging the underground grid, adding that Russia backs ‎the Israeli operation, known as Operation Northern ‎Shield. ‎

Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister ‎Saad Hariri have both downplayed the chances of the ‎Israeli operation leading to any escalation on the ‎border, saying that as long as Israel does not ‎violate Lebanese sovereignty, there would be no ‎reason for fresh hostilities in the sector. ‎

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council is poised to ‎discuss Hezbollah’s terror tunnels during its next ‎session, set for Wednesday. ‎