Unifil head hints at use of force

There are currently 7,200 UN troops in Lebanon, Gen Pellegrini says

The commander of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon (Unifil) has suggested the use of force to stop continuing Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace.

But French Gen Alain Pellegrini said this would require the UN to change the rules of engagement for its troops.

The UN force in Lebanon currently can only react by using diplomatic means.

Israel criticised Gen Pellegrini's remarks, while UN diplomats said there was no move under way to change the rules of engagement for peacekeepers.

"If the diplomatic means should not be enough, maybe it could be considered other means," Gen Pellegrini told a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

He said that Israeli air incursions were a "clear violation of the UN Security Council 1701.

"They are not to be accepted. Every time these occur, we report them first to the [UN] secretary general immediately and we protest to the Israelis".

He said France had deployed anti-aircraft missiles to Lebanon but under current rules could only use them to protect its own soldiers.

Gen Pellegrini also said Unifil had seen no evidence of illegal arms being smuggled in from Syria.

The Israeli envoy to the UN, Dan Gillerman, said he was surprised by Gen Pellegrini's comments.

"General Pelegrini more than anybody else knows exactly why the Unifil force is there. It is not because of Israel," Mr Gillerman said.

In August, a UN-brokered truce ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

More than 1,100 people - mostly civilians - were killed in Lebanon during the war. In Israel, more than 150 people - mainly soldiers - were killed.