Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 10 November 2000 from the Permanent Representative

of Lebanon addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government, and further to my letter dated 6 November 2000 (document S/2000/1071 dated 6 November 2000), I have the honour to inform you that, on 10 November 2000 at 0130 hours, the seagoing tug Rizq Allah No 276/T was proceeding from the port of Uqaybah to the port of Tyre with four Lebanese citizens on board (Tanyus Mikhayl Al-Ray, Azzam Ihsan Kurdi, Idwar Ilyas Abu Rjili and Abd Al-Rahman Ghassan Al-Abd) when it was intercepted by an Israeli cruiser inside Lebanese territorial waters 3 kilometres offshore. The cruiser contacted the master of the tug by radio calling on him, under threat, to head south. The cruiser followed the tug until it was off Mansuri, south of the city of Tyre, where the tug had a breakdown and had to stop. The Israeli cruiser fired over the heads of the Lebanese seamen, calling on them to continue their course southwards. They complied, but the tug broke down again off Naqurah where the Israeli cruiser opened fire once more, shooting over their heads. They were then interrogated as to their identities and were not allowed to head back in the direction of Tyre until 0545 hours, after they had repaired the breakdown.

This aggression is a further violation of resolution 425 (1978) and of the sovereignty of Lebanon within its territorial waters, and is an act of intimidation against citizens who are trying to go about their daily work. In this way Israel is deliberately violating Lebanese waters, after its daily violations of Lebanese airspace and the landing of helicopters at dawn on 6 November 2000 in the Qantarah area, well inside Lebanese territory.

The continuation of ever-increasing violations by Israel at sea, on land and in the air, and its determination to heighten tension, are a threat to stability in the southern region and are likely to have repercussions for which Israel alone will bear responsibility. Lebanon therefore invites the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to put an end to these ongoing provocations by Israel against Lebanon.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Selim Tadmoury

Ambassador

Permanent Representative