Lebanon warned Sunday it would charge with treason anyone who fired rockets on Israel in violation of a ceasefire that ended a month of warfare, but said Hizubllah was committed to the deal. "Any violation ... any rocket that would give Israel a justification (to hit Lebanon) will be treated harshly," Defense Minister Elias Murr Murr said in a press conference.
"It will be considered as direct collaboration with the Israeli enemy," he said, adding that those responsible "will be tried and referred to a military tribunal."
"When the Resistance (Hizubllah) is committed not to fire rockets, any rocket that is fired from Lebanese territories will be considered a direct collaboration with Israel," he said.
Murr said Lebanese troops will complete their first deployment in four decades in the Hizubllah stronghold of southern Lebanon, and along the border with Syria over the next few weeks. "The role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is to help the Lebanese army," Murr said.
"Therefore before the deployment of the army and before countries are assured that the Lebanese state is determined to extend its authority over all Lebanese territory and ensure security across all Lebanese territory, I do not think we can ask anyone" not to be wary about joining the UN force, he said.
"This is why we cannot ask why they did not come in the numbers they should come in," he said.
"This is why when the army deployment is completed in the south, we will reach the phase of strengthening the UN force," he added .
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Sunday accused Israel of committing crimes against humanity during its offensive on Lebanon. "This is a criminal act which reflects Israel's hatred to destroy Lebanon and its unity," he said outside the destroyed building of Al-Manar TV station during a tour of Beirut's bombed-out southern suburbs with parliament speaker Nabih Berri.
"I hope all the international media will transmit this picture to every person in the world so that it shows this criminal act, this crime against humanity that Israel has committed in this area and every region of Lebanon."
