Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 19 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 1 to 14 March 2001. Lebanon regards these incidents as an extension of Israel’s aggression against its people and territory.

1 March 2001

At 0900 hours Israeli bulldozers and trucks were seen working on the road leading to the occupied Fashkul outpost at the approach to Mughr Shab`a.

At 0955 hours Israeli bulldozers and trucks were seen spreading gravel on the newly cut road running parallel to the Blue Line between Abbasiyah and Ghajar.

At 1150 hours there was an explosion beyond Ramta hill in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 1220 hours Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier in the Nabatiyah area.

At 1230 hours an Israeli bulldozer was seen fortifying the position at Misgav Am hill inside occupied Palestine.

Between 0100 and 0200 hours an Israeli gunboat inside the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched two illumination flares over the surrounding area.

At intervals between 1545 and 1800 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South, Mount Lebanon, the Bekaa and offshore areas near Beirut at very high altitudes.

Between 1920 and 2010 hours Israeli warplanes and helicopters overflew the Bint Jubayl area and the occupied Shab`a farmlands at very high altitudes.

Between 2040 and 2050 hours two Israeli helicopters flew over the occupied Shab`a farmlands before leaving in the direction of the occupied Palestinian territories.

2 March 2001

At 0500 hours an Israeli gunboat inside the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched two illumination flares over the surrounding area.

Between 0855 and 1000 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Ramta hill and Ruwaysat al-Alam outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands directed a number of bursts of medium-weapons fire at the surrounding area. There were also two unexplained explosions inside the farmlands.

Between 0800 and 1530 hours Israeli enemy forces worked on the road running parallel to the Baskurus between the occupied towns of Abbasiyah and Ghajar with a road roller, preparing it to be surfaced with asphalt.

At 1450 hours there were two unexplained explosions inside the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

4 March 2001

At 0830 hours Israeli trucks deposited quantities of earth along the road between Ghajar and Abbasiyah inside occupied Palestinian territory. East of Ghajar three persons in civilian clothing crossed into Lebanese territory to a depth of three metres from the Blue Line. Guarded by an Israeli patrol consisting of two HMMWV (“Hummer”) vehicles, they installed barbed wire on the side of the Blue Line towards the occupied territories.

Between 0955 and 1030 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South and Mount Lebanon at very high altitudes.

Between 1015 and 1045 hours two Israeli helicopters flew over the Israeli forces outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

Between 1355 and 1450 hours Israeli warplanes overflew offshore areas, the South, Mount Lebanon and the Western Bekaa at very high altitudes. They released heat balloons in the Hasbayya area.

Between 1400 and 1710 hours an Israeli Poclain-type backhoe and two Israeli trucks were engaged in excavation work along the road to the Israeli forces outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

Between 1855 and 1945 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the Qilya-Dallafah area and the occupied Shab`a farmlands at very high altitude.

Between 1900 and 1950 hours two Israeli helicopters overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

Between 2020 and 2100 hours two Israeli helicopters flew over the occupied Shab`a farmlands and Israeli forces strafed the area around their outpost at Ramta hill with medium-weapons fire.

5 March 2001

Between 1030 and 1055 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Naqurah, Tibnin and Bint Jubayl areas at very high altitudes.

Between 1425 and 1445 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the villages in the Tyre area at very high altitude.

6 March 2001

At 0800 hours Israeli forces at the Fatimah Gate fired two light-weapons rounds into the air in the direction of a number of citizens on the other side. No one was hurt.

Between 1025 and 1110 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre, Tibnin and Bint Jubayl areas at very high altitudes.

Between 1830 and 1845 hours an Israeli helicopter flew over the outposts of the Israeli forces in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 2250 hours an Israeli gunboat in Palestinian territorial waters off Ra’s al-Naqurah directed a number of bursts of medium-weapons fire at surrounding areas.

7 March 2001

Between 0950 and 1035 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South at very high altitudes.

At 1000 hours a hoist was seen carrying out fortification work at the Israeli forces outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands. A bulldozer and a truck were also engaged in excavation work along the road leading to the outpost.

Between 1340 and 1445 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Bint Jubayl, Tibnin and Naqurah areas at very high altitudes.

8 March 2001

Between 0940 and 1200 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Western Bekaa and the South at very high altitudes.

At 1200 hours a metal pole some 10 metres high was erected at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

9 March 2001

At 0520 hours an Israeli gunboat in the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched an illumination flare over the surrounding area.

During the morning Israeli enemy forces proceeded to fortify and to erect a metal barrier around their outpost at the Biranit site in the occupied Palestinian territories opposite Rumaysh.

Between 0710 and 0730 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Ramta hill outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands directed a number of bursts of medium-weapons fire at surrounding areas.

Between 1045 and 1210 hours Israeli enemy forces at Ramta hill and other outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands directed a number of bursts of medium-weapons fire and fired 15 120-mm mortar rounds at areas around the Ramta outpost and into Mazra`at Bashra.

10 March 2001

At 1045 hours a yellow Israeli bulldozer was seen operating north of the Blue Line on the northern side of the occupied town of Ghajar.

The Israeli forces stationed at the Abbad position installed cameras and lookouts in the fixed observation tower in order to monitor the movements of citizens.

At 1100 hours a helicopter belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) flew over the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.

At 1200 hours an Israeli gunboat directed a number of bursts of fire into the territorial waters of occupied Palestine in an area contiguous to Lebanese territorial waters.

11 March 2001

At 1000 hours there were three unexplained explosions in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 1245 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Abbad position fired two light-weapons rounds into the air after being pelted with stones by citizens. No one was hurt.

Between 1420 and 1440 hours an Israeli gunboat in the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah set off several concussion grenades.

Between 1510 and 1515 hours an Israeli enemy helicopter flew over the Israeli outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 1910 hours an Israeli enemy gunboat in the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched an illumination flare over the surrounding area.

Between 2005 and 2020 hours Israeli enemy forces at an outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands launched several illumination flares over the Ruwaysat al-Alam and Summaqah outposts in the same area.

12 March 2001

Between 1340 and 1410 hours Israeli forces strafed the area around their outpost at Ramta hill with medium-weapons fire.

Between 0900 and 1610 hours an Israeli forces Poclain-type backhoe and truck were engaged in excavation work along the road leading to the Israeli outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands. Four Israeli workmen carried out maintenance work on the barbed-wire strip north of the occupied town of Ghajar, and Israeli forces installed concrete cuboid obstacles to the south-east of Abbasiyah using a hoist.

Between 1620 and 1815 hours an Israeli gunboat in Palestinian territorial waters off Naqurah directed a number of rounds of medium-weapons fire and launched four illumination flares into the surrounding area.

13 March 2001

Between 0855 and 0905 hours Israeli forces strafed the area around their outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands with medium-machine-gun fire.

Between 0955 and 1040 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Bint Jubayl area and the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 1015 hours a bulldozer and a backhoe were seen working on the road leading to the Fashkul outpost at the approach to Mughr Shab`a.

Between 1030 and 1445 hours a Poclain-type backhoe was seen carrying out excavation work along the road leading to the Israeli forces outpost at Mughr Shab`a in the occupied Shab`a farmlands. Israeli forces were also seen blasting rocks.

At 1255 hours numerous Israeli warplanes flew over the occupied Palestinian territories at moderate altitudes close to the Lebanese border.

Between 1800 and 1825 hours Israeli warplanes and helicopters flew over the occupied Shab`a farmlands at very high altitudes.

14 March 2001

During the night of 13/14 March Israeli enemy forces at the Fatimah Gate towed the two-metre-square concrete bunkers that had been used by Israeli forces before the liberation from the area in front of the barbed-wire strip on the Lebanese side to an area beyond the strip inside occupied Palestinian territory. UNIFIL is investigating the incident.

Between 0900 and 1530 hours workers from the Council for the South erected electricity poles in the area between the town of Wazzani and the Wazzani spring in order to provide electric power to the pumping station. Israeli enemy forces thereupon dispatched a patrol of three HMMWV (“Hummer”) vehicles along the road between the occupied towns of Abbasiyah and Ghajar. Five Israeli civilian vehicles also lingered in the area opposite the spring.

A Israeli Poclain-type bulldozer carried out excavation work in a parking lot in the occupied town of Abbasiyah. It stopped work at 1540 hours and left with the patrol and the Israeli vehicles in the direction of the occupied territories.

Between 1120 and 1305 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the South at very high altitudes.

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