Violations across the Blue Line – Letter from Lebanon

General Assembly

Sixty-first session

Agenda item 13

The situation in the Middle East

Identical letters dated 12 March 2007 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

On the instructions of my Government, I transmit to you herewith a statistical summary of Israeli violations between 1 and 7 March 2007 (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would have this letter and its annex circulated as a document of the sixty-first session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 13, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Caroline Ziade

Chargé d’affaires a.i.

Annex to the identical letters dated 12 March 2007 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

and the President of the Security Council

Re: Israeli violations, acts of aggression and activities from

1 to 7 March 2007, inclusive

Air violations

On 2 March 2007, between 1955 hours and 2250 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off Sidon in an easterly direction and circled over the southern regions. It then departed Lebanese airspace over Rumaysh.

On 3 March 2007, between 1833 hours and 2230 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off al-Naqura in an easterly direction and circled over the southern regions. It then departed Lebanese airspace over Rumaysh.

On the same date, at 2100 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over `Alma al-Sha`b in a northerly direction as far as Rayyaq and circled over it. It then departed Lebanese airspace over on 4 March 2007 at 0010 hours over Rumaysh.

On 4 March 2007, between 0805 hours and 1200 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off al-Naqura and circled over the regions of the South. It then departed Lebanese airspace over the sea off al-Naqura.

On the same date, between 1209 hours and 1230 hours, two enemy Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off Sidon in an easterly direction as far as the western Bekaa and returned in a westerly direction. They then departed Lebanese airspace over the sea off al-Sa`diyat.

On the same date, between 1245 hours and 1335 hours, two enemy Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace over al-Naqura and circled over the sea between Beirut and Tyre. They then headed east as far as the western Bekaa and circled over it. They then headed south and departed Lebanese airspace over al-Naqura.

On the same date, between 1305 hours and 1340 hours, two enemy Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace over the occupied Shab`a farmlands as far as Shikka. They headed east as far as al-Hirmil and the western Bekaa and circled over it. They then departed Lebanese airspace over the sea off Shikka.

On the same date, between 1755 hours and 2055 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off Bayada and circled over regions of the South. It then departed Lebanese airspace over al-Naqura.

On the same date, between 1824 hours and 2140 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off Tyre and circled over regions of the South. It then departed Lebanese airspace over `Alma al-Sha`b.

On 7 March 2007, between 0910 hours and 1325 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off Tyre and circled over the South region. It then departed Lebanese airspace over `Alma al-Sha`b.

On the same date, between 1002 hours and 1045 hours, four enemy Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off Tyre as far as Nabatiya. They headed north as far as Tripoli, then returned as far as Juniya, and headed east as far as Rayyaq. They then departed Lebanese airspace over the sea off al-Naqura.

On the same date, between 1400 hours and 1805 hours, four enemy Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace over the occupied Shab`a farmlands and circled over the South and the western Bekaa. They departed Lebanese airspace over said farmlands.

On the same date, between 1800 hours and 2155 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off al-Naqura in an easterly direction, and circled over regions of the South. It then departed Lebanese airspace over Rumaysh.

On the same date, between 1830 hours and 2205 hours, an enemy Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over the sea off al-Naqura and circled over regions of the South. It then departed Lebanese airspace over al-Naqura.

Sea violations

On 5 March 2007, at 0900 hours, an enemy Israeli military launch fired a number of rounds of medium machine-gun fire in the open sea off Ra’s al-Naqura.

Field violations

On 2 March 2007, at 1130 hours, while Mahmud al-Hajj was riding a motorcycle collecting scrap metal near the `Abbad outpost, he was stopped by an enemy Israeli patrol stationed inside occupied Palestinian territory. One of its personnel fired into the air and the others brandished their weapons in his direction and prevented him from leaving the spot. Members of the Indonesian unit stationed at the spot tried to detain him, but the enemy patrol prevented them. They then forced him to move along the border buffer strip and directed him towards Wadi Hunin. At 1730 hours, he was handed over to UNIFIL at the Naqura gate. At 1740 hours, the South intelligence branch took over his custody from the UNIFIL liaison unit. He was interrogated and released at 2230 hours.

On the same date, at 1740 hours, one of the personnel at the Israeli enemy’s W-402 position (al-Labuna) threw a smoke bomb 10 metres inside Lebanese territory.

On 4 March 2007, at 1255 hours, on the Kafr Kila-`Adaysa public road, near a water crossing along the border strip, while a Ministry of Public Works and Transport vehicle containing civilians was passing, enemy Israeli personnel proceeded to cock their weapons and aim them in their direction for no reason. This prompted personnel at the Lebanese Army observer post (lam mim 10) to cock their weapons in the direction of enemy personnel, who took cover in nearby groves.

Israeli activities

On 4 March 2007, at 1415 hours, an enemy Israeli military launch fired several rounds of medium-weapons fire over the water in the open sea off Ra’s al-Naqura inside Palestinian regional waters.

On 5 March 2007, between 0815 hours and 0835 hours, enemy Israeli forces fired light weapons from their Radar position inside the occupied Shab`a farmlands in the direction of the area around the position.

On the same date, at 1140 hours and until 1240 hours, enemy Israeli forces fired light weapons opposite the Labuna position (coordinate W-404), and at 1345 hours, Israeli forces opened fire at a suspicious area near position N-470 inside occupied Palestinian territory (opposite Kafr Kila).

On the same date, between 1245 hours and 1300 hours, enemy Israeli forces strafed the area around their position at Jabal Sammaq (opposite Kafr Shuba) with light automatic-weapons fire.

On the same date, at 1330 hours, the sound of an explosion was heard inside occupied Palestinian territory near the Saliha outpost (opposite the town of Marun al-Ra`s).

On 7 March 2007, between 1150 hours and 1200 hours, enemy Israeli forces strafed the area around their position at Ramta inside the occupied Shab`a farmlands with light-weapons fire.

On the same date, between 2145 hours and 2200 hours, an enemy Israeli military launch fired five flare shells inside Palestinian waters in the open sea (off Ra’s al-Naqura).