EU urges Lebanon, Israel to exercise restraint

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton Tuesday said she was worried by the shooting incidents Monday across the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon, which reportedly led to the killing of an Israeli soldier and later the shooting of two Lebanese soldiers. She urges Israel and Lebanon to act with utmost restraint and calls on all parties to actively help defuse tensions, her spokesman Michael Mann said in a statement. "The High Representative underlines the EU support to the role of UNIFIL in supporting peace and stability in South Lebanon. She welcomes and supports the ongoing UNIFIL investigation to establish facts on the ground," it said. Ashton reiterated the importance for both Israel and Lebanon to abide by and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, with a view to a long-term solution leading to restoring peace in the region.