Violations across the Blue Line – Letter from Lebanon

Identical letters dated 30 June 2005 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  On instructions from my Government, I wish to inform you of the following:

1.   Israel continues to carry out its acts of aggression against Lebanon and to violate its sovereignty by land, sea and air. An attempt yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, 29 June 2005, by an Israeli military unit to cross the Blue Line in the area of the occupied Shab’a Farms prompted the Lebanese resistance to thwart and repel it with various types of machine guns and other artillery, whereupon Israel proceeded to shell Lebanese territory in the Kafr Shuba hills and throughout the Shab’a Farms, causing damage to many houses belonging to Lebanese citizens in peaceful zones.

2.   At the same time, Israel has stepped up its threats to the resistance and the Lebanese Government. In the early dawn hours on Thursday, 30 June 2005, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over Sidon and the southern suburbs near Beirut containing explicit threats to the Lebanese people and Government. The dropping of leaflets by means of aeroplanes over Lebanese lands constitutes yet another act of aggression against Lebanon’s sovereignty and the inviolability of its airspace and territory.

3.   What took place yesterday afternoon and this morning is in flagrant violation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and of international law and constitutes a threat to peace and security in the region. It requires the application of the utmost international pressure on Israel to put an end to such practices and to ensure respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Israel will have to take responsibility for such acts of aggression.

  I request you to have the present letter distributed to the members of the Security Council and issued as a document of the Council under the item on the situation in the Middle East.

(Signed) Ibrahim Assaf 

Chargé d’affaires a.i.

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