U.N. peacekeepers deployed on Israeli border with Lebanon

MANARA, Lebanon (Reuters) -- U.N. peacekeepers took up positions on the Lebanese-Israeli border on Friday to extend their authority over the area occupied by Israel until two months ago, United Nations military sources said.

In a sign that the long-awaited deployment of peacekeepers was beginning, U.N. troops raised their blue flag on the border at Manara, opposite an Israeli settlement.

Lebanon, still disputing that Israel has fully withdrawn, played down the significance of the move.

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"Accepting the deployment of the international force while the Israeli violations (of Lebanese territory) still exist means acquiescing to these violations, which is impossible," Prime Minister Selim al-Hoss told reporters in Beirut.

But officers in the peacekeeping force said the troops were meant to take up new, long-term positions at the border.

Witnesses saw the peacekeepers from the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) go to the areas of Yaroun and Manara in the central sector of the former occupation zone in southern Lebanon and take up positions beside the border.

A U.N. official said they would move into four other areas later in the day but gave no details.

About 25 U.N. Irish and Ghanaian troops, two armored personnel carriers, another armored vehicle and a bulldozer were outside the villages of Yaroun and Manara.

U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said Thursday there was only one remaining violation of the Lebanese border and he expected this to be resolved.

The U.N. Security Council on Thursday unanimously approved a six-month renewal of the 5,000-strong peacekeeping force in Lebanon to January 31, 2001.

Israel withdrew from a 15-kilometer (nine-mile) deep zone on May 24, ending 22 years of occupation, but deployment of Lebanese or U.N. forces has been delayed by the slow process of confirming that Israel is not violating the border at any point.

With the Lebanese government refusing to deploy forces in the former occupation zone until a total Israeli withdrawal is confirmed, Hezbollah guerrillas who led the fight against the Israeli army have become the effective ruling force in the zone.

Both Israel and Lebanon argued over a "blue line" drawn by U.N. cartographers to divide the forces until the United Nations imposed its decision. Israel remained on the Lebanese side at some points, leading to repeated examinations of the border and delays in troop deployments.

Foreign governments have pressed Lebanon to extend its authority over the vacated area to ensure stability and prevent clashes that could re-ignite Lebanese-Israeli fighting.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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