India, Israel and Lebanon

India on Sunday said that it is waiting for a report from its correspondent in Tel Aviv before taking any measures concerning the Israeli claims that the Indian soldiers working within UNIFIL in south Lebanon had helped Hizbullah in kidnapping three Israeli soldiers in October 2000.

News reports quoted the spokesman for the Indian ministry of defense as saying that the Indian army will study the report and then take a decision regarding it.

The Israeli mass media had claimed that the Indian soldiers working within UNIFIL in South Lebanon accepted a bribe from Hizbullah and helped its members in arresting the three Israeli soldiers.

The Israeli daily Maareve quoted one Indian soldier as saying that tens of the Indian soldiers working within UNIFIL in south Lebanon saw the kidnapping operation and did nothing, while at least four of those soldiers cooperated with the kidnappers.