Syria arms Hezbollah with Scud missiles: Israel

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday accused Syria of supplying Scud missiles to the Lebanese Hezbollah while publicly talking peace, as Lebanon complained to United Nations over Israel's violation of its territory few days ago.

"Syria claims it wants peace while at the same time it delivers Scuds to Hezbollah whose only goal is to threaten the state of Israel," Peres told public radio.

There have been reports in the past, notably in Arab media and by specialized think-tanks, that Syria was sending some of its arsenal of Scud missiles to Lebanon.

"Syria believes it need do nothing more than let itself be courted by the world, while saying one thing and doing the opposite," said Peres, whose post is largely ceremonial.

He made the comments just hours before flying to Paris, where he is expected to discuss the issue in talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Israel's Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai declined to go into details of the alleged Scud shipment, but said "Hezbollah's firing capacity has significantly improved."

Israel accuses both Syria and Iran of supplying arms to Hezbollah, whose deadly attack on an army patrol in Israel triggered a bloody war in the summer of 2006.

The 34-day conflict with Hezbollah killed 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Syria claims it wants peace while at the same time it delivers Scuds to Hezbollah whose only goal is to threaten the state of Israel

Israeli President Shimon Peres

Blue Line

Lebanon, meanwhile, has filed a complaint to the U.N. Security Council accusing Israeli troops of crossing into its territory at the weekend, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

"Lebanon filed a complaint on Monday to the U.N. Security Council over Israel's crossing the Blue Line into Lebanese territory on Saturday near the Wazzani river," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"This is a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and Resolution 1701."

The Wazzani river is located along the southern border between the two countries.

In a statement released Sunday, the Lebanese army said 11 Israeli soldiers had crossed into Lebanese territory and dismantled a bulldozer at a construction site near the Wazzani.

But the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that it only had evidence of Israeli troops crossing the technical fence but not the Blue Line.

The so-called Blue Line is a U.N.-drawn border established after the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, following a 22-year presence.

Lebanon filed a complaint on Monday to the U.N. Security Council over Israel's crossing the Blue Line into Lebanese territory on Saturday near the Wazzani river

Lebanese official