Israel has refused to yield to a UN call for clarifications on planting "listening devices" in southern Lebanon, boasting that intelligence gathering on its northern neighbor will persist.

Citing Tel Aviv officials, the Israeli daily Haaretz reports on Monday that Israel will continue collecting intelligence in southern Lebanon "as long as long as the government in Beirut is not in full control of its territory".

Lebanon complained during a tripartite meeting last Wednesday between representatives of Beirut, Tel Aviv, and the UN that it had uncovered monitoring devices planted by Israel near the village of Hula in south of the country last week. The talks were held at the UNIFL base near the Rosh Hanikra border crossing.

"It seems that something new was put in place recently," said the Lebanese envoy, referring to spying devices installed by the Israelis on its territory.

"Israel will continue to use all means necessary to defend its citizens," boasted Brigadier Yossi Hayman, the Israeli envoy at the UNIFL base in Lebanon.

While Hayman, according to the report, never denied that Israelis planted the listening devices in southern Lebanon, he reiterated that the Tel Aviv regime "will make use of its intelligence gathering capabilities so long as Hezbollah poses a threat."

The general also claimed, "In view of all this, we do not consider this instance [of planting listening devices] as an Israeli violation of Resolution 1701" that put an end to the 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006.

A UN investigation into the two explosions in southern Lebanon last week concluded that the Israelis detonated spy devices in order to evade their detection. However, no reaction by the UN has been reported on what is seen as Israel's arbitrary and self-serving interpretation of the Resolution 1701.

SB/MB