An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman denied a report on Sunday that IDF troops along Israel's northern border with Lebanon had been instructed to raise their current level of alert.

The spokesman told Xinhua that Israeli troops deployed along the northern border with Lebanon were just instructed to maintain their awareness but not raise their alert level.

Local daily the Jerusalem Post reported on its Sunday edition Website that IDF troops in the north had raised the alert level because of the recent tension in Lebanon.

The report said that the Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz had ordered the IDF intelligence to track events in Lebanon closely.

Lebanese political and security situations have signs of deterioration following the assassination of anti-Syrian Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel in November and a mass anti-government demonstration in central Beirut on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, tens of thousands of Lebanese people went to street under the call of Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, which wanted a unity government to replace the current one dominated by anti-Syrian majority.

Source: Xinhua