Lebanese PM criticizes Hezbollah press tour on Israel border

Italian UN peacekeepers watch journalists during a media trip organized by Hezbollah to show journalists the defensive measures established by the Israeli forces to prevent against any Hezbollah infiltration into Israel, at the Lebanese-Israeli border near the village of Labbouneh, south Lebanon, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Hezbollah organized a media tour along the border with Israel meant to provide an insight into defensive measures established by the Israeli forces along the southern frontier in the past year in preparation for any future conflict.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla) (The Associated Press)

In this photo released by Lebanon's official government photographer Dalati Nohra, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, right, and Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Maj. Gen. Michael Beary, left, review the honor guard of the United Nations peacekeepers, upon his arrival at their headquarters, at the coastal border town of Naqoura, south Lebanon, Friday, April 21, 2017. Hariri paid a visit to south Lebanon and United Nations peacekeepers stationed along the border with Israel, a day after Hezbollah organized a tour for journalists along the frontier.(Dalati Nohra via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this photo released by Lebanon's official government photographer Dalati Nohra, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, first center, escorted by his bodyguards upon his arrival at the United Nations peacekeepers headquarters, at the coastal border town of Naqoura, south Lebanon, Friday, April 21, 2017. Hariri paid a visit to south Lebanon and United Nations peacekeepers stationed along the border with Israel, a day after Hezbollah organized a tour for journalists along the frontier. (Dalati Nohra via AP) (The Associated Press)

Lebanon's prime minister has paid a visit to south Lebanon, a day after Hezbollah organized a tour for journalists along the Lebanon-Israel border.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri criticized the media tour organized by Hezbollah during which armed militants from the group appeared in a U.N.-created border buffer zone meant to be free of Hezbollah presence, calling it "unacceptable in our opinion."

The Hezbollah tour, intended to show journalists defensive measures taken by Israel along the border in the past year, was also criticized by other opponents of the Iranian-backed group as a provocation and a violation of a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution that created the buffer zone.

Hariri, on his visit Friday, met with United Nations peacekeepers stationed in the area and renewed Lebanon's commitment to international resolutions.