Mideast situation – UNTSO – Report on the status of the cease-fire

REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE CEASE-FIRE IN ISRAEL-LEBANON SECTOR

The Chief of Staff of UNTSO has submitted the  following report on developments in the Israel-Lebanon sector during July 1975.

1. Activity in the sector during July increased, particularly on 6-7 July,99-20 July and 31 July.

2. Israel forces personnel continued to occupy daily, during daylight hours,five positions on the Lebanese side of the Armistice Demarcation Line  (ADL)  near Border pillars 11  (AMR 1799-2788), 1/ 14 (AMR 1838-2734) (except on 1, 3, 6, 12, l4, 16-l8, 26 and 28-31 July), 18 (AMR 1880-2740), 19 (AMR 1907-2749) and 33 (AMR 2004-2904).

3. There were 79  cases of firing across the ADL or across the line between Lebanese territory and Israeli-occupied Syrian territory and four cases of firing across or within Lebanese territorial waters.  Three of these cases involved an exchange of fire.  There were five crossing violations.  These were reported as follows:

(a) OP Lab (AMR 1643-2772), south of the village of Labouna, reported artillery fire on 4, 7 and 8 July, mortar fire on 7, 20, 21 and 31 July, machine-gun fire on 17, 18 and 19 July, and flares on 7, 19 and 23 July, all by Israel forces.

(b) OP Hin (AMR 1770-2790),  east of the village of Marouahine, reported artillery  fire on 3, 6, 15, 20, 23, 28 and 31 July, mortar fire on 6, 7, 11, 14, 15 and 24 July, machine-gun fire on 14 and 24 July, and small-arms fire on 14 July, all by Israel forces.  It also reported artillery and mortar fire by unidentified forces north-west and north-east of the OP on 29 July and an exchange of fire involving mortar fire by unidentified forces east of the OP and machine-gun fire by Israel forces on 6 July (firing initiated by unidentified forces).

(c) OP Ras (AMR 1920-2785), south-east of the village of Maroun Er Ras, reported artillery fire on 2 and 23 July and mortar fire on 6 and 7 July, all by Israel forces.

(d) OP Mar (AMR 1998-2921), south-east of the village of Markaba, reported artillery fire on 20 and 23 July and mortar fire on 4 and 31 July, all by Israel forces.

(e) OP Khiam (AMR 2071-3025) south of the village of El Khiam, reported artillery fire on 6, 7, 8, 11, 22 and 31 July, mortar fire on 31 July and flares   If on 17 July, all by Israel forces, and mortar fire by unidentified forces north-east and north-west of the OP on 22 July.  It also reported an exchange of automatic-weapons fire between Israel forces and unidentified forces south of the OP on 6 July.  United Nations military observers were unable to determine which force initiated the fire.

(f) Naqoura outstation  (AMR 1629-2805), on the coast near the village of En Naqoura, reported naval gun-fire on 7 and 19 July and a naval vessel penetration into Lebanese territorial waters on 19 July, all by Israel forces.  It also reported an exchange of fire involving naval gun-fire by Israel forces and automatic-weapons fire by unidentified forces north-east of the outstation on 6 July (firing initiated by Israel forces).

(g) An UNTSO mobile patrol, while located at AMR 1675-2786, reported mortar fire by Israel forces on 7 July and, while located in the vicinity of Chebaa (AMR 2200-3055), reported crossing violations by Israel forces on 2, 9, 22 and 29 July (maximum penetration 900 metres).

4. There were 14 overflights  reported during the period. Overflights by   Israel forces jet aircraft were reported on 2-8,  11, 12, 14-17, 21, 23, 24 and 27-31 July (one each day), on 10, 13 and 22 July (two each day) and on 19 and 20 July (three each day).  One overflight by an Israel forces light aircraft was reported on 7 July.  One overflight by an Israel forces helicopter was reported on 19 July.  Two overflights by unidentified jet aircraft and one overflight by an unidentified light aircraft – all dropping flares – were reported on 17 July. Overflights by unidentified jet aircraft were reported on 22, 23, 25, 28 and 31 July. United Nations military observers were unable to identify the aircraft owing to high altitude and hazy weather conditions (22, 23, 25, 26 and 31 July) or darkness (17 July).

5. The Lebanese authorities submitted 91 complaints during the period under review, as follows:

(a) Forty-four complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces fire had fallen on Lebanese territory on 30 June, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12-14, 16, 17, 19-21, 23, 24, 26, 28 and 30 July) one complaint each day), on 1, 4, 5, 11, 15, 18, 22 and 29 July (two complaints each day), on 7 and 9 July (three complaints each day) and on 6 July (four complaints).  Nineteen of these  complaints were confirmed by United Nations observation, except for damage.

(b) Twenty-eight complaints  concerned Israel forces jet aircraft overflights on 3-8, 10, 13-16, 18, 23-25 and 27-31 July (one complaint each day)  and 2, 17, 20 and 21 July (two complaints each day).  Twenty-four of these complaints were confirmed.

(c) One  complaint  concerned an Israel forces  helicopter overflight  on 22 July. The complaint was not confirmed.

(d) One complaint concerned an Israel forces light aircraft overflight on 23 July.  The complaint was not confirmed.

(e) One complaint was submitted alleging that on the night of 6/7 July, Israel forces warships and jet aircraft attacked Lebanese territory with naval gun-fire, automatic-weapons, bombs and rockets in the vicinity of Rachidiye (AMR 1703-2932), El Bourghliye (AMR 1728-3018) and Izziye (AMR 1716-2871). The complaint was partly confirmed (S/ll663/Add.7, paras. 5-6).

(f) One complaint was submitted alleging that Israel forces jet aircraft attacked Lebanese territory in the vicinity of Saida (approximately 40 kms south south-west of Beirut) on 13 July, causing casualties and material damage. The complaint was not confirmed (the area of the alleged incident is outside the range of United Nations observation).

(g) Two complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces had penetrated Lebanese territory on 8 and 9 July.  The complaints were not confirmed.

(h) One complaint was submitted alleging that Israel forces naval vessels had penetrated Lebanese territorial waters on 4 July and fired automatic-weapons at Lebanese fishing vessels. The complaint was not confirmed.

(i) Four complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces naval vessels had penetrated Lebanese territorial waters on 12, 19, 20 and 21 July. The complaints were not confirmed.

(j) In addition, eight complaints were submitted with requests that inquiries into them be conducted by United Nations military observers (see para. 6 below).

6.  Two of the complaints have been dealt with in special reports (see S/ll663/Add.8 and Add.9). The inquiries requested by the Lebanese authorities were authorized by the Chief of Staff of UNTSO. On each occasion, United Nations military observers, accompanied by a representative of the senior Lebanese delegate to the Israel-Lebanon Mixed Armistice Commission, interviewed witnesses in the area and examined the evidence presented to them.  The complaints and relevant inquiries are outlined below:

(a) A complaint alleged that on 7 July between 0001 and 0450 hours GMT, intermittent artillery fire coming from Israel territory fell in the village of Aadeisse (AMR 2010-2955) and other locations, causing the death of a woman and wounding two others and causing damage to houses and material in Aadeisse. The inquiry took place on 8 July. Witnesses in the village stated that two shells impacted in the village killing the mother of one witness and injuring two other women. The military observers saw at Aadeisse six houses recently damaged by two shell explosions.  The complaint is confirmed in so far as the damage to six houses is concerned.

(b) A complaint alleged that on 13 July between 1325 and 2025 hours GMT, intermittent artillery and automatic-weapons fire and illuminating flares coming from Israel territory fell in the village of Aitaroun (AMR 1944-2802) and in other locations, causing the death of one Lebanese and the wounding of two others in Aitaroun and causing various material damage. The inquiry took place on 14 July. Witnesses in the village stated that one shell impacted in the village injuring three boys, one of whom subsequently died. The military observers saw in Aitaroun the corpse of one dead boy and saw two injured boys at Sour (AMR 1690-2970) Hospital. They saw also in Aitaroun a recent artillery crater and material damage. The complaint is confirmed.

(c) A complaint alleged that between 1735 and 2300 hours GMT on 17 July, intermittent artillery and automatic-weapons fire and illuminating flares coming from Israel territory fell in the village of Aadeisse and in other locations, causing damage to material and cultivation in Aadeisse. The inquiry took place on 19 July. The complaint is confirmed in so far as damage to one house in Aadeisse is concerned.

(d) A complaint alleged that between 2300 hours GMT on 17 July and 0200 hours GMT on 18 July, two Israel forces jet aircraft overflew the Lebanese region of Marjayoun (AMR 2056-3074) and the vicinity of Kfar Kela (AMR 2020-2980), dropping illuminating flares and causing damage to several houses at Kfar Kela.  The inquiry took place on 19 July. The complaint is confirmed.

(e) A complaint alleged that between 0300 and 0400 hours GMT on 19 July, an Israel forces warship penetrated Lebanese territorial waters near Naqoura, firing several bursts of automatic-weapons fire towards a Lebanese fishing boat and towards Lebanese territory, causing the sinking of the fishing boat and the burning of a cornfield. The inquiry took place on 19 July. The complaint is confirmed.

(f) A complaint alleged that on 29 July, between 0020 and 0140 hours GMT, a mechanized Israel force penetrated Lebanese territory into the village of Aita Ech Chaab (AMR 1815-2780) and searched the village. The inquiry took place on 29 July. The complaint is not confirmed.

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1/ AMR –  approximate map reference.