Israel probes complaints from Lebanon peace force

Jerusalem, May 13: Israel has investigated complaints against its army regarding two incidents involving UN peacekeepers off the coast of Lebanon, an Israeli security source said yesterday.

A spokesman for naval peacekeepers under German command had accused Israel of involvement in the incidents, one in which Israeli fighter jets approached a German frigate and another in which an Israeli speedboat headed toward the ship.

The Israeli source said Israel had handed peacekeepers its findings from an investigation into the April 30 incident between one of its naval vessels and the German ship.

Another incident involving several Israeli fighter jets that approached the frigate last Wednesday was ''being checked,'' the source said.

The source said no complaint had been received regarding a third incident mentioned by the German spokesman, said to have involved Israeli forces and a Swedish speedboat.

Israel's military spokesman's office would not comment on any of these incidents, but said Israel coordinates with international troops in Lebanon that were expanded under a truce that ended Israel's war against Hezbollah guerrillas last year.

''Any irregular incident is checked and resolved with the cooperation of both sides,'' a military spokeswoman said.

Reuters>