Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

GENERAL ASSEMBLY SECURITY COUNCIL

Fifty-second session Fifty-second year

Agenda item 37

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Letter dated 16 December 1997 from the Permanent

Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations 

addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government and further to our earlier letters concerning Israel's attacks on southern Lebanon and the Western Bekaa and the arbitrary practices against the civilian inhabitants in which it engages on a daily basis, I have the honour to notify you of the series of such incidents that took place in November 1997.

1 November 1997

At 0700 hours the abandoned Lebanese Army Barracks in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa came under artillery and heavy-weapons fire from Israeli positions in the border strip.

At 0800 hours outlying areas of Dallafah, Qilya and Zillaya in Western Bekaa district came under Israeli artillery fire.  Two men were wounded.

2 November 1997

At 1200 hours the security situation in the Jabal al-Rayhan area of Jazzin district grew tense and clashes took place between men of the Lebanese resistance and Israeli and Lahad militia forces in which all types of weapons were used.  A number of artillery shells fell in Rayhan, causing serious damage to homes and injuring a woman.

At 1325 hours outlying areas of Luwayzah and Jarju` came under Israeli artillery fire and Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitude.

At 1410 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps at low altitude.

5 November 1997

At 1200 hours outlying areas of Kafra, Yatar, Haris, Tibnin and Bra`shit in Bint Jubayl district came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1900 hours outlying areas of Haris, Haddatha, Kafra and Yatar came under Israeli artillery fire.

6 November 1997

At 1630 hours outlying areas of Yatar, Kafra, Haris, Ayta al-Jabal and Haddatha came under Israeli artillery fire.

7 November 1997

At 1530 hours outlying areas of Arabsalim, Luwayzah, Jarju` and Ayn Bu Siwar, the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills and areas along the Zahrani River came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 2035 hours Israeli helicopters overflew the Mashgharah, Ayn al-Tinah and Maydun plain, the Suhmur and Yuhmur plain and the towns of Libbaya and Qilya in Western Bekaa district and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

10 November 1997

At 1830 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas at low altitude.

At 1850 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Damur and Na`imah areas at low altitude and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

11 November 1997

At 0300 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas at low altitude.

At 1550 hours outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju` and Luwayzah came under Israeli artillery fire.

12 November 1997

At 1230 hours outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju` and Ayn Bu Siwar and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.  At the same time Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitude.

At 1800 hours outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju`, Luwayzah and Ayn Bu Siwar and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.  Israeli warplanes also overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitude.

13 November 1997

At 1730 hours outlying areas of Qa`qa`iyat al-Jisr, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah and areas along the Litani River came under Israeli artillery fire.

15 November 1997

At 0600 hours outlying areas of Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Luwayzah and Arabsalim came under Israeli artillery fire.  Several homes were damaged in Arabsalim.

At 1845 hours outlying areas of Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar and Arabsalim came under Israeli artillery fire.

16 November 1997

At 1100 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas at low altitude and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

At 1350 hours Israeli warplanes again overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas, carrying out mock attacks.

At 2030 hours outlying areas of Haddatha, Haris and Ayta al-Jabal came under Israeli artillery fire.

17 November 1997

At 1000 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas at low altitude.

At 1820 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon at low altitude.

At 2130 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitude.

At 2230 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area at low altitude.

18 November 1997

At 1130 hours outlying areas of Haddatha in Bint Jubayl district came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1810 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area carrying out mock attacks.  The overflights continued until 1900 hours.

At 1830 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area at medium altitude.

19 November 1997

At 0850 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at medium altitude carrying out mock attacks.

At 0855 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps at high altitude.

At 1245 hours Israeli warplanes again overflew the Nabatiyah area at medium altitude carrying out mock attacks.

At 1350 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps at low altitude and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

At 1400 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Damur area and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

At 1715 hours outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju` and Ayn Bu Siwar and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.

20 November 1997

At 0915 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas at low altitude carrying out mock attacks.

At 0920 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon at low altitude.

At 1330 hours the outskirts of Nabatiyah al-Fawqa and its eastern section came under heavy bursts of fire from Israeli forces positions opposite the town.  The home of Hasan Isa Ghandur was badly damaged.

At 1715 hours several shells of different calibres fell in outlying areas of Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Arabsalim, Jba` and Luwayzah, the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills and areas along the Zahrani River in the Iqlim al-Tuffah area.

At 2210 hours outlying areas of Libbaya and Qilya came under Israeli artillery fire.

21 November 1997

At 1115 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas at low altitude.

At 2045 hours the vicinity of the abandoned Lebanese Army barracks in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa and the Maslakh neighbourhood in Nabatiyah came under Israeli artillery fire.  The bombardment extended to outlying areas of Nabatiyah al-Fawqa, where three shells made a direct hit on the home of Muhammad Salman Jamul.

23 November 1997

At 0630 hours outlying areas of Nabatiyah al-Fawqa and the abandoned Lebanese Army barracks came under artillery fire and bursts of sniper fire from Israeli positions in the border strip.  The artillery bombardment extended to the town of Nabatiyah al-Fawqa, where four artillery shells fell on the home of Hasib Musa Ghandur and a nail-filled projectile fell on the home of Nabil Ali Ulw.  Serious damage was done to both houses.  Israeli warplanes also overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitude.

At 0700 hours outlying areas of Majdal Zun and Mansuri in Tyre district came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 0800 hours Bayt Lif in Bint Jubayl district came under rocket fire.  Five civilians were killed and ten others were wounded.

At 0845 hours outlying areas of Frun, Ghanduriyah, Qabrikha, Tulin, Sawwanah, Kafra and Yatar came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 0930 hours outlying areas of Jibal al-Butm and Zibqin in Tyre district came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1045 hours Israeli warplanes attacked outlying areas of Kafra and Yatar in two waves, firing a number of air-to-surface missiles.  A number of people were killed in the bombardment.

At 1245 hours outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju` and Jba`, the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills and the Kafr Fila wadi came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1310 hours Israeli warplanes attacked outlying areas of Zibqin in Tyre district.

24 November 1997

At 0600 hours Israeli helicopters overflew Mansuri and Majdal Zun.  At the same time outlying areas of Mansuri, Majdal Zun, Hinniyah and Qulaylah came under artillery fire.

At 0930 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at medium altitude carrying out mock attacks.

At 1215 hours Israeli warplanes attacked outlying areas of Zibqin.

At 2000 hours the abandoned Lebanese Army barracks in the outskirts of Nabatiyah al-Fawqa came under bursts of Israeli sniper fire.

25 November 1997

At 0900 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area at low altitude.

At 0930 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps at high altitude.

At 0945 hours outlying areas of Majdal Zun, Mansuri, Buyut al-Sayyid and Hinniyah came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1450 hours the southern outskirts of Mashgharah and the vicinity of the vocational school came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 2145 hours outlying areas of Habbush and Kafr Rumman, parts of Nabatiyah al-Fawqa and the abandoned Lebanese Army barracks came under Israeli artillery fire in which shells of various calibres were used.

At 2250 hours the Israeli artillery bombardment of Nabatiyah, the Maslakh neighbourhood and the Marj Ayun road resumed.

27 November 1997

Between 0855 and 0910 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Damur area in Shuf district and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

At 1300 hours outlying areas of Jba`, Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar and Humin al-Fawqa and the Ayn Bu Siwar – Jarju` road came under Israeli artillery fire.  The road in question was cut for one half-hour.  At 1445 hours Israeli warplanes carried out two successive attacks on the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills in the Iqlim al-Tuffah district.

28 November 1997

At 1030 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps at high altitude and Nabatiyah at low altitude.

At 1700 hours outlying areas of Jba`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Jarju` and Luwayzah, the Jba` – Kafr Fila wadi and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.  At 0830 hours Israeli warplanes also attacked the outskirts of Luwayzah firing air-to-surface missiles.

At 1855 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the Jabal Rashid heights and the vicinity of the Jabbur pool in the outskirts of Ayn al-Tinah in Western Bekaa district.

At 2215 hours outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju` and Luwayzah came under Israeli artillery fire.  Some 20 shells of various calibres landed in the area.

29 November 1997

At 1230 hours outlying areas of Jba`, Arabsalim, Jarju` and Luwayzah came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1700 hours six artillery shells fired from Lahad militia positions fell in the wadi located between Jun and Sfariyah.

At 1730 hours outlying areas of Ayn Bu Siwar and Jba` came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1835 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon at low altitude and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

At 1845 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Jiyah, Sa`diyat, Damur and Na`imah areas in Shuf district at low altitude and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from units belonging to the Lebanese Army.

30 November 1997

At 2100 hours the vicinity of the abandoned Lebanese Army barracks in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa came under artillery fire and bursts of sniper fire from Israeli positions in the border strip.

The Lebanese Government strongly condemns the continued Israeli occupation and these fresh attacks and arbitrary practices inflicted on the Lebanese population, which have left a number of casualties and have caused further serious damage to property.

Like previous attacks, this new series is in flagrant violation of the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon and constitutes a breach of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, of international law and of basic human rights.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 37, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Samir MOUBARAK     

Ambassador       

Permanent Representative

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