Israel denies friction with peacemakers

Deutsche Presse Agentur

Israel denied its forces, operating in southern Lebanon, had been involved in a confrontation with UN peacekeepers Thursday, an Israeli Army spokesman told Deutsche-Presse Agentur, dpa. According to Lebanese reports, four French Leclerc tanks with UN peacekeepers moved to the entrance of the border village of Marwaheen where at least five Israeli Merkava tanks were operating in the area for the past two days, preventing civilians and journalists from entering the village.

Standing some 50 metres from each other, the tanks of the two sides were caught in a 20-minute face-off, according to Lebanese security sources.