United Nations Radio

UN peacekeepers have started putting up a barbed wire fence along the Lebanon-Israel border to prevent violations of the so-called Blue Line separating the village of Ghajar.

The decision to set up the barrier was made last week at a meeting between UNIFIL's Commander General and officials from the Lebanese and Israeli armies. The spokesperson for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, Yasmina Bouziane, says the measure is meant to prevent violations of the Blue Line from either side.

"This is also for the security of the people who live in the area to ensure that there is no inadvertent violation of the Blue Line, which could be problematic and could lead to escalation of tension and other issues." (14")

Ms. Bouziane says the barrier will run around northern Ghajar, the zone controlled by the Israeli Defense Forces. The Blue Line was plotted out by UNIFIL in 2000 when Israel withdrew its forces from Lebanon.

Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.

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