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

REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE CEASE-FIRE

IN THE ISRAEL-LEBANON SECTOR

The Chief of Staff of UNTSO has submitted the following report on developments the Israel-Lebanon sector during the month of March 1975. 1/

1. Activity in the sector during the month remained at a low level.

2. Israel forces personnel continued to occupy daily, during daylight hours,

positions on the Lebanese side of the armistice demarcation line (ADL) near border pillars 11 (AMR 1799-2788) 2/ (except on 14 March); l4 (AMR 1838-2734) (except on 1, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 24 March); 18 (AMR 1880-2740) (except on 18 March); 1,9 (AMR 1907-2749) (except on 18 March); and 33 (AMR 2004-2907) (except on 18 and 26 March).

3. There were 12 cases of firing across the ADL and 15 crossing violations, These were reported as follows:

(a) OP Lab (AMR 1643-2772), south of the village of Labouna, reported small-fire on 5 March and mortar fire on 31 March, all by Israel forces.

(b) OP Hin (AMR 1770-2790), east of the village of Marouahine, reported Dhine-gun fire on 4, 7, 8, 13, 19, 20 and 21 March and artillery fire on 2 and 21 March, all by Israel forces.  It also reported crossing violations by Israel forces on 8, 16, 17 and 31 March (maximum penetration 30 metres), on 10 and 11 March (maximum penetration 50 metres), and on 12, 13 and 14 March (maximum [penetration 100 metres).

(c) OP Ras (AMR 1920-2785), south-east of the village of Maroun Er Ras, reported machine-gun fire by Israel forces on 30 March.

(d) Naqpura Outstation (AMR 1629-2805), on the coast near the village of Haqpura, reported that an Israel forces naval vessel had penetrated Lebanese territorial waters on 19 March.

(e) UNTSO mobile patrols reported crossing violations on 5 March (maxi: penetration 200 metres)   and on 28 March  (maximum penetration 800 metres) while located at AMR 2117-2987;  on 7 March (maximum penetration 100 metres) while located at AMR 1811-2787;  and on 29 and 31 March  (maximum penetration 900 me while located in the vicinity of Chebaa (AMR 2200-3055).

4. There were 40 overflights reported during the period. Overflights by Israel forces jet aircraft were reported on 3, 4, 6, 25 and 30 March  (three day), on 5, 8, 13, 23, 28, 29 and 31 March (two each day) and 7, 10, 11, l4, 15, 21, 22 and 26 March (one each  day).  Overflights by unidentified jet  aircraft were reported on 3 March (one overflight) and on 4 March (two overflights); United Nations military observers were unable to identify the aircraft owing to high altitude.

5. The Lebanese authorities submitted 74 complaints during the month as follows:

(a) Thirty-three complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces fire had fallen on Lebanese territory.  One of these complaints was confirmed by United Nations observation, except for damage.

(b) One complaint was submitted alleging that on 23 March automatic-weapons and artillery fire and flares  from Israel forces territory had fallen on Lebanese territory in the vicinity of Halta (AMR 2128-3020), Kfar Chouba (AMR 2150-3035) and Kfar Hamam (AMR 2137-3053), causing death to three personal wounds to four persons  and material damage.  The complaint was not confirmed.

(c) Twenty-one complaints concerned Israel forces jet aircraft overflight Nineteen of these complaints were confirmed.

(d) Two complaints concerned Israel forces helicopter or light aircraft overflights.  The complaints were not confirmed.

(e) Six complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces had penetrated Lebanese territory on  8,  10,  15,  29,  30 and 31 March.  The  complaints were confirmed for 8,  10 and 31 March.

(f) Three complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces naval vessels had penetrated Lebanese territorial waters on 15, 22 and 28 March.  The complaints were not confirmed.

(g) Eight  complaints were  submitted alleging that Israel forces patrols had penetrated Lebanese territory in the region of Chebaa (AMR 2200-3055).

Two of these complaints were confirmed by UNTSO mobile patrols.  The remaining complaints were not confirmed; the location of the  alleged incidents was  outside United Nations  observation range.

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1/ The previous report, which covers the period from 24 February to 2 March 1975, was circulated in document S/11057/Add.576.

2/ AMT – approximate map reference

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