Attacks across the Blue Line – Letter from Israel

Identical letters dated 21 November 2005 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

It is with dismay that Israel has, once again, been the target of a series of terrorist attacks. These acts of terrorism, unrelenting assaults by Hezbollah, represent yet another attempt to cause widespread death, violence and terror in Israel. The attacks include multiple attempts to kidnap soldiers, massive shelling attacks, Katyusha rocket fire and numerous gunfire attacks. I am writing you to draw your attention to these deplorable attacks.

Today, the terrorist organization Hezbollah attacked Israelis not just in the area of Har Dov, the so-called Shebaa Farms, but along the entire eastern sector of the Lebanese border. Twelve Israelis are now known to have been wounded in the incidents, including a civilian resident of the border village of Ghajar, who was hit by mortar shrapnel, and a number of Israeli soldiers who have sustained serious injuries.

To provide a few examples of attacks perpetrated today, Hezbollah terrorists infiltrated Israel’s border in two attempts to kidnap Israeli soldiers, in Ghajar and in the “Gladiola post”, and opened fire in both of these areas. Hezbollah terrorists fired arms at Israeli farmers near Metula and launched a Katyusha rocket at that northern town. An anti-tank missile directly hit a house in Metula, forcing residents in the area to evacuate into bomb shelters. These grave incidents damage the already tenuous situation along the northern border.

As the present letter is being written, Hezbollah is continuing to attack the Har Dov area with mortar and rocket fire.

Israel has known for a few weeks that Hezbollah has been planning widespread terrorist attacks in northern Israel. What is of particular concern is that Israel notified the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that terrorist attacks were imminent and asked it to take measures, yet UNIFIL failed to act in accordance with its mandate and prevent them. Again I reiterate, UNIFIL had information about these attacks but took no action to stop them.

Israel is concerned that by maintaining contacts with terrorist organizations in the area, including Hezbollah, UNIFIL serves rather to legitimize the role of these organizations. It is additionally troubling that senior United Nations officials have met with members of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which may foster additional legitimacy to that group.

Moreover, Israel is disappointed that the United Nations, despite various organs represented in Lebanon, is incapable of preventing such grave violations of the blue-line from the Lebanese side: the infiltration of army posts, gunfire attacks against military and civilians, attempted abductions and mortar and rocket fire attacks against Israeli communities.

Israel would like to urge the United Nations and the Government of Lebanon to see to it that all obligations as decided in Security Council resolutions 425 and 1559 are fulfilled. The time has come for the sovereign Government of Lebanon to finally extend its control over all of its territory and disband Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter circulated as a document of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly, under agenda items 108 and 14, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Dan Gillerman

Ambassador

Permanent Representative