UN chief Guterres says Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territories

Beirut: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territories and stop conducting military operations inside Lebanon that violate the UN Security Council resolution halting the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

Guterres made the comments Friday during a visit to the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon near the border with Israel.

Speaking about military operations by Israeli troops inside Lebanon since a 60-day truce went into effect on November 27 last year, Guterres said, "They must stop."

Guterres also said the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL has uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other armed groups since the ceasefire.

He reiterated that Lebanese government forces as well as UN peacekeepers are the only sides who should have armed presence south of the Litani river near the border with Israel.

The presence of other forces, an apparent reference to Hezbollah, "undermine Lebanon's stability", he said.