Violations across the Blue Line – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 22 June 2004 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon  to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government, I provide you with the following summary of Israeli violations and acts of aggression against Lebanon:

31 May 2004

At 1430 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned at Labbunah, within the occupied Shab`a Farms, fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire at the area surrounding the said position.

At 1945 hours an Israeli military boat in the open sea off Ra's Naqurah fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire within the territorial waters.

2 June 2004

At 1044 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned at Ruwaysat al-Alam fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire at the area surrounding the said position.

At various times during the night of 2 to 3 June 2004 Israeli enemy forces positioned at Ruwaysat al-Alam, within the occupied Shab`a Farms, fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire at the area around Kafr Shuba that caused damage to a livestock fodder storage facility.

3 June 2004

At 1000 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned at Zibdin, within the occupied Shab`a Farms, fired two 120-mm mortar shells at the area around Birkat al-Naqqar.

4 June 2004

At 1745 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned at Al-Summaqah, within the occupied Shab`a Farms area, fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire at the area surrounding the said position.

6 June 2004

At 1025 hours an Israeli military boat in the open sea off Ra's Naqurah fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire within the territorial waters.

7 June 2004

At 2245 hours an Israeli military boat in the open sea off Ra's Naqurah fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire and a flare bomb within the territorial waters.

8 June 2004

At 0230 hours an Israeli military boat in the open sea off Ra's Naqurah fired a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire within the territorial waters.

Between 0855 and 1000 hours and between 1050 and 1220 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned in the occupied Shab`a Farms area fired a number of 120-mm mortar shells at the area around Birkat al-Naqqar, then raked the area around Ramta hill, Ruwaysat al-Alam and Al-Summaqah, within the occupied Shab`a Farms.

9 June 2004

Between 0845 and 0925 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned in the occupied Shab`a Farms fired a number of 120-mm mortar shells at the area around Birkat al-Naqqar, within the occupied Shab`a Farms.

10 June 2004

At 0925 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned at Al-Summaqah, within the occupied Shab`a Farms, fired a number of rounds at the area surrounding the said position.

Between 1930 and 1945 hours Israeli enemy forces positioned at Ruwaysat al-Alam and Radar hill, within the occupied Shab`a Farms, fired a number of rounds at the area around the said position.

14 June 2004

Between 0040 and 0200 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the sea off Tyre at medium altitude, then proceeded north-east of Khaldah and headed back towards the south, thus violating Lebanese airspace.

16 June 2004

Between 0020 and 0210 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the sea off Tyre at medium altitude, then proceeded north and circled over Na`imah, thus violating Lebanese airspace.

17 June 2004

Between 0720 and 1000 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the sea off Tyre at medium altitude, then headed towards Beirut and circled over Damur and Beirut, thus violating Lebanese airspace.

Between 1005 and 1255 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the sea off Tyre at medium altitude, headed towards Beirut and then circled over Sidon and Tyre, thus violating Lebanese airspace.

20 June 2004

Between 1130 and 1200 hours Israeli military aircraft flew at various altitudes over the occupied Shab`a Farms, Ramiyah and Marwahin, thus violating Lebanese airspace.

Between 1107 and 2135 hours Israeli military aircraft overflew the sea off Tyre at various altitudes, the headed east and circled over Tyre and Bint Jubayl, thus violating Lebanese airspace.

Between 2125 and 2145 hours Israeli military aircraft flew at various altitudes over the Hawla and Mays al-Jabal, then attacked Jamusah hill, south of the village of Tiri, firing four air-to-ground missiles, thus violating Lebanese airspace.

These grave violations are part of a series of persistent and provocative Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and territory and are in contravention of the principles of international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations has repeatedly called for their cessation.

In view of these violations and the stepping-up of Israeli threats to Lebanon and the safety of its territory and its citizens, Lebanon calls upon the Security Council to deter and prevent Israel from such dangerous acts, which pose a threat to international security and peace.  Israel must assume full responsibility for those acts and for any consequences to which they may give rise.

In drawing your attention to the gravity and possible consequences of such acts, I request to have this letter of complaint circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 37, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Sami Kronfol

Ambassador

Permanent Representative