UNITED NATIONS - UN chief Ban Ki-moon, in a report seen here Wednesday, has expressed concern about the "reported activities of unauthorized armed elements" in Lebanon and has urged Israel to end its air incursions into Lebanese airspace.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, reviews implementation of Security Council resolution 1731, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas last August.

"I am concerned by the reported activities of unauthorized armed elements outside of UNIFIL (the UN Interim Force in Lebanon)'s areas of operations," Ban said, insisting that successful implementation of 1701 requires "the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon".

Referring to Israel's repeated concerns over arms smuggling into Lebanon from Syria, Ban noted that information provided by the Israeli military was "substantial."

But, he said, "its authentication would require independent military assessment."

He meanwhile called on Israel "to review its policy of overflights through Lebanese airspace, which are a continuing violation of 1701, and most urgently to provide the United Nations with all information on cluster munitions" fired during last year's conflict.

The UN secretary general noted that Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora had expressed his country's "frustration with continuing Israeli overflights, the rising civilian toll caused by Israeli cluster bombs and slow progress on the issue of the (disputed) Shebaa Farms."

Israel says the overflights are necessary to monitor what it charges is rampant arms smuggling to Hezbollah from neighbouring Syria.

Meanwhile Ban appealed to Syria, Iran and other regional states "to do all they can to ensure the provisions of Resolution 1701 are fully respected."

On the Shebaa Farms, Ban noted that "there is no alternative but to move forward on this issue, albeit with due diligence."

He pressed for the "full cooperation" of Lebanon, Syria and Israel in helping develop "an accurate territorial definition" of the disputed territory.

Lebanon has claimed sovereignty over the 25 square kilometers (10 square miles) of land located along the Lebanon-Syria-Israeli borders which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and then annexed along with the rest of the Golan Heights.

The UN has offered to manage the territory, which has been a central pretext for Hezbollah's ongoing battle against the Jewish state after Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, until a final settlement is negotiated.

The secretary general also cited growing criticism in Israel that 1701 has failed to address "issues of most concern to Israelis" such as the return of soldiers captured by Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas and the reported arms smuggling across the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni raised the issue along with all aspects of implementation of 1701 in a meeting with Ban here Wednesday, which was also attended by Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz. -AFP