12 diplomats and foreign ambassadors tour northern border
12 diplomats and foreign ambassadors tour northern borderIDF Spokesperson's Unit

The IDF and the Foreign Ministry on Friday hosted 12 diplomats and ambassadors on a tour of Israel’s northern border, ahead of the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

The UN Security Council renews the mandate of UNIFIL every year, with the next renewal scheduled for the end of August.

The IDF and Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the diplomats were given briefings by top military official, including the commander of the division responsible for the Lebanese border, as well as officials responsible for ties with international forces.

The diplomats also toured a tunnel that was dug beneath the border by the Hezbollah terrorist group and which was uncovered during Operation Northern Shield last year.

Avivit Bar-Ilan, bureau head in the Foreign Ministry’s UN and International Organizations Division, said that a full and effective implementation of the mandate of UNIFIL is necessary for maintaining regional stability and preventing Hezbollah's strengthening in southern Lebanon.

"We expect the members of the Security Council to adopt a resolution that will allow the force to fulfill its mission without restrictions," she said.

Brig. Gen. Shlomi Binder, commander of Division 91, also known as the Galilee Division, said, “Hezbollah’s terrorist army is present [at the border] and is working to undermine regional stability and the international community must recognize the threat and act against it. We are working to strengthen the readiness of our forces for every scenario and we will continue to work day and night for the security of Israeli citizens.”

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)