Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 1 March 2001 from the Permanent Representative

of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government and further to my previous letters on the same subject, I have the honour to convey to you hereunder a list of the violations and infringements that were committed by Israel against Lebanon in the period from 16 to 28 February 2001. Lebanon regards these incidents as an extension of Israel’s aggression against its people and territory.

16 February 2001

At 1220 hours Israeli forces fired several mortar rounds of miscellaneous calibre and direct-fire rounds at outlying areas Kafr Shuba, Majidiyah, Mari, Wazzani, Amrah and Ayn Arab and at the Riba` al-Tibn area outside Kafr Shuba from their outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands. A number of smoke projectiles landed on the road between Mari and Majidiyah. Two Israeli helicopters also flew over the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

17 February 2001

At 2035 hours an Israeli helicopter launched three illumination flares in an offshore area near Adlun.

20 February 2001

On the night of 19/20 February Israeli forces installed a monitoring camera on a metal watchtower on the Lebanon-Israel boundary between Kafr Killa and Udaydah in the vicinity of the Nabi Uwaydah intersection. It should be recalled that two monitoring cameras were installed in the same location on 14 February.

21 February 2001

Between 0920 and 1050 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tibnin, Bint Jubayl, Sidon and Damur areas, heading north at very high altitudes before leaving Lebanese airspace.

Between 0810 and 0820 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre and Naqurah areas, the area adjacent to Ramiyah and the western sector at moderate altitudes.

At 0530 hours an Israeli gunboat launched illumination flares and fired bursts of medium-weapons fire in an area near Lebanese territorial waters at Naqurah.

24 February 2001

Between 2210 and 2230 hours Israeli forces strafed the vicinity of their outpost at Ramta hill in the occupied Shab`a farmlands with medium-weapons fire. An Israeli helicopter also flew over the farmlands and fired several bursts of medium-weapons fire at the area between Mazra`at Fashkul and Abbasiyah.

25 February 2001

At 1440 hours the Israeli army connected electricity cables to the barbed-wire fence between Lebanon and Israel at the Abbad position.

Between 0930 and 1200 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South, the Bekaa, Mount Lebanon and the North at very high altitudes, breaking the sound barrier.

26 February 2001

Between 0930 and 1030 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South and the occupied Shab`a farmlands at very high altitudes.

27 February 2001

Between 1345 and 1350 hours Israeli forces at the Mazra`at Fashkul outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands fired several bursts of medium-machine-gun fire at surrounding areas.

Between 0800 and 1500 hours three military bulldozers and a Poclain backhoe were engaged in excavation work in the occupied Shab`a farmlands near the Lebanon-Syria boundary at Ramta hill.

28 February 2001

Between 0930 and 1110 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South and Mount Lebanon at very high altitudes.

From 1130 hours an Israeli forces Poclain backhoe was engaged in excavation work along the Blue Line east of Ghajar. Another excavator was at work inside the outpost of the occupation forces at Ruwaysat al-Alam in the occupied Shab`a farmlands. An Israeli bulldozer was working on the road leading to the outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul. A metal pole some 20 metres long was raised at the Ramta hill outpost of the occupation forces, around which a crane was also installing reinforced-concrete cuboid obstacles.

Between 1305 and 1340 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Naqurah area at very high altitudes.

Between 1215 and 1300 hours Israeli forces sent a motorized patrol along the line between Abbasiyah and Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

Like the previous Israeli violations of which it represents a continuation, this latest series is in flagrant violation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and of Lebanon’s sovereignty and poses a threat to stability in the region.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 40, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Sélim Tadmoury

Ambassador

Permanent Representative