UN peacekeepers in Lebanon to be bolstered

Israel and the United States are pushing for the United Nations to increase the scope of action for peacekeepers in Lebanon, saying they are being rendered practically useless by the Hezbollah terror group, as the world body meets to extend the mandate of the mission.

The UN Security Council is set to vote Thursday to extend the mandate for UNIFIL, a move that comes at a time of increased tension along the Israel-Lebanon border, with Hezbollah vowing to strike back at Israel for a Beirut drone attack it blames on Jerusalem.

Israel and the US, which both consider Hezbollah a terror group, have long sought to give the peacekeepers real teeth in dealing with the Shiite group, a necessity that was highlighted Wednesday when Fox News showed footage of Hezbollah men attacking a UN peacekeeper vehicle and setting it on fire.