Mideast situation/Status of cease-fire – UNTSO supplemental information – SecGen report

Further report on the status of the cease-fire

in the Middle East

The Chief of Staff of UNTSO has submitted the following report on developments in the Israel-Lebanon sector during the period 30 December 1974 to 5 January 1975:

1. Ground activity in the sector increased markedly on 31 December (see S/11057/Add.566), but decreased considerably after 3 January. No violations have been observed in the Hasbaiya region, north-east of OP Khiam (AMR 2071-3025). 1/

2. Israel forces personnel continued to occupy, during daylight hours, four positions on the Lebanese side of the armistice demarcation line (ADL) near border pillars 11 (AMR 1799-2788) (observed each day), 18 (AMR 1880-2740) (observed on 1, 3 and 5 January), 19 (AMR 1907-2749) (observed each day except 4 January) and 33 (AMR 2004-2904) (observed each day).

3. There were twenty-eight cases of firing across the ADL, two of which involved exchanges of fire.  These were reported as follows:

(a) OP Hin (AMR 1770-2790), east of the village of Marouahine, reported machine-gun fire on 30 December and 2 January, artillery fire on 31 December and 2 January and mortar and automatic weapons fire on 31 December and 3 January, all by Israel forces.  It also reported mortar fire by unidentified forces west-north-west of the OP on 2 January.  During one of the firing incidents on 2 January, Israel forces machine-gun fire passed within 15 metres of the OP; however, no damage to the OP or injuries to United Nations personnel were reported.  OP Hin also reported an exchange of fire on 31 December between mortar and automatic weapons fire by Israel forces and automatic weapons fire by unidentified forces west of the OP (see S/11057/Add.566).

(b) OP Ras (AMR 1920-2785), south-east of the village of Maroun Er Ras, reported artillery fire by Israel forces on 31 December.

(c) OP Mar (AMR 1998-2921), south-east of the village of Markaba, reported mortar fire by Israel forces on 1 January.

(d) OP Khiam, south of the village of El Khiam, reported artillery fire on 31 December and on 1, 3 and 5 January and mortar fire on 3 January, all by Israel forces.

4.  There was one overflight reported during the period under review.  An overflight by Israel forces jet aircraft was observed on 1 January.

5.  The Lebanese authorities submitted twenty-eight complaints during the period under review as follows:

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

(b) One complaint concerned an Israel forces jet aircraft overflight. The complaint was confirmed.

(c) Four complaints concerned overflights by Israel forces helicopters. None of the complaints was confirmed.

(d) Two complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces naval vessels penetrated Lebanese territorial waters on 31 December and 1 January. The complaint were not confirmed owing to darkness.

(e) One complaint was submitted alleging that Israel forces ambushed and shot to death one Lebanese soldier, while he was moving in a Lebanese military jeep on the main road in the vicinity of Rmaich (AMR 1847-2760). The complaint was not confirmed.

(f) Two complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces patrols had penetrated Lebanese territory in the region of Boustane (AMR 1742-2781) on 2 January and in the region of El Majidiye (AMR 2117-2987) on 3 January. The complaints were not confirmed owing to limited visibility.

(g) Six complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces patrols had daily penetrated Lebanese territory in the regions of Chebaa (AMR 2200-3055) and Rmaich (AMR 1847-2760). Penetration in the Rmaich area was confirmed for five of the complaints.  The remaining complaints were not confirmed; the locations of the alleged incidents were outside United Nations observation range.

(h)  In addition, four complaints were submitted with requests that inquiries into them be conducted by United Nations military observers.  These complaints and the relevant inquiries have been dealt with in two special reports (see S/11057/Add.566 and 567 ).

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1/ AMR – approximate map reference.