Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 27 March 1990 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the

Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to

the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government and with reference to our previous letters concerning Israeli practices in Lebanese territory, I would inform you that Israel has recently built a road in the Chabaa region at a distance ranging between 2 and 5 kilometres from the international frontier.  The road is 12 kilometres long and is built on territory seized in April 1989. The Israelis are now implanting posts in preparation for fencing of the region within the road area, so that it appears that a replanning of the frontier is afoot that will lead to the annexation to Israel of approximately 40 square kilometres of Lebanese territory.

The new Israeli aggression is part of a series of gradual annexation measures that Israel began years ago.  It reveals Israeli ambitions regarding Lebanese territory and constitutes a blatant Attack on the sovereignty and territory of Lebanon and a violation of international pacts and treaties.

At the same time, the measures of territorial annexation and population expulsion carried out by Israel in the Chabaa region have led to the displacement of hundreds of families and deprived them of their property and livelihood from agricultural and animal produce, placing these Lebanese in a tragic situation both economically and socially.

The Lebanese Government requests your prompt intervention, the use of your good offices to put pressure on Israel to halt the policy of annexation and alteration of the nature of the territory in the frontier region and action to enable the Lebanese displaced from their farms to return to them.

I request you to have this letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under item 35 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Chawki CHOUERI

Ambassador

Charge d'affaires a.i.

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