Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

GENERAL ASSEMBLY SECURITY COUNCIL

Fiftieth session Fifty-first year

Agenda item 44

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Letter dated 23 May 1996 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 repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, I have the honour to notify you of the series of such attacks that took place during April 1996.

At 1500 hours on 1 April 1996 an Israeli patrol consisting of 70 men and seven vehicles entered the town of Arnun and closed the road between the Birkat Arnun locality and Yuhmur. It withdrew at 1630 hours on the same day under cover of flares and overflights by Israeli warplanes. No casualties were reported.

At 0130 on 5 April an Israeli force infiltrated into the Jisr al-Sitt Zubaydah area between the towns of Habbush and Humin al-Fawqa. A clash took place between the force and elements of the national resistance, and this continued until the Israeli force withdrew at 0145 hours. There were no reports of casualties.

At 1830 hours on 8 April 1996 three booby-trapped explosive charges were detonated on the outskirts of Bra`shit in the Bint Jubayl district. Mazin Farahat, a 17-year-old Lebanese, was killed, and Ibrahim Imad Farahat (8), Muhammad Husayn Ubayd (6) and Ali Kamal Shihab (25) were wounded. Mazin's body was taken to the Jabal Amil Hospital in Tyre.

At 0930 hours on 7 April 1996 Israeli forces bombarded the outskirts of Arabsalim and Ayn Bu Siwar and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills.

At 0600 hours on 9 April the outskirts of Kafra, Yatar, Haris, Haddatha, Ayta al-Jabal, Tibnin, Bra`shit, Shaqra, Majdal Silm, Tulin and Qabrikha came under Israeli artillery fire. This was accompanied by overflights by warplanes.

At 0800 hours on 9 April Israeli warplanes carried out attacks on the outskirts of Jumayjimah, Sultaniyah and Tibnin and on the Wadi al-Khanuq area. Four rockets were fired. There were no reports of casualties.

At 0730 hours on 9 April the outskirts of Hinniyah, Izziyah, Mansuri and Mazra`ah came under Israeli bombardment.

At 1500 hours on 8 April 1996 Israeli forces and Lahad forces expelled Maryam Yusuf Salihah, a 53-year-old Lebanese, from the border-strip area through the Kafr Tibnit crossing.

At 0800 hours on 9 April Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqwiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah and Mazra`at al-Hamra. This was accompanied by low-altitude overflights by Israeli warplanes.

At 1430 hours on 10 April 1996 Israeli forces shelled the towns of Kafra and Yatar and the outskirts of Haris. There were no reports of casualties.

At 1840 hours on 10 April two Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the Tyre area at low altitude. Ground-based anti-aircraft fire was directed against them.

On the morning of 11 April a number of Israeli naval craft patrolled Lebanese territorial waters between Naqurah and Sidon, approaching close to the shore.

At 0715 hours on 11 April Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area and were met with ground-based anti-aircraft fire from the Lebanese Army. At around 0750 hours on the same day an aircraft fired two rockets at a Lebanese Army base located near the Imam al-Sadr institutions in Tyre, wounding a number of soldiers. The wounded were taken to hospitals in Tyre. Serious damage was done to a troop carrier belonging to the Lebanese Army. Earlier, at 0700 hours, Israeli aircraft had overflown the Nabatiyah area and had made two consecutive attacks on the town of Ayn Bu Siwar and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills.

At 0900 hours on 11 April Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from the Lebanese Army.

At 0630 hours on 11 April 1996 the outskirts of Tibnin, Yatar, Haddatha, Ayta al-Jabal, Haris, Kafra and Jumayjimah came under Israeli artillery fire. At 0900 hours on the same day Israeli helicopters overflew the villages in the Bint Jubayl district at low altitudes.

At 0950 hours on 11 April the hills to the south of Mashgharah and the environs of Ayn al-Tinah came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1015 hours on 11 April an Israeli naval craft attempted to approach a gas tanker at-Zahrani. It was intercepted by the shore-defence batteries of the Lebanese Army, and they prevented it from approaching.

At 1045 hours on 11 April 1996 Israeli warplanes overflew the Beirut area and the southern suburbs. The movement of air traffic at Beirut International Airport was suspended until 1130 hours.

Following the Israeli bombardment and frequent overflights by Israeli warplanes of the Bint Jubayl area, some 25 per cent of the inhabitants left for safer areas.

A Lebanese Army troop carrier was hit in the bombardment and set on fire. Sergeant Salamah Awdah and Private Hasan al-Husayni were wounded. Israeli warplanes continued to overfly the Tyre area intermittently.

At 1115 hours on 11 April 1996 Israeli warplanes attacked a point near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the town of Jba` in the Marjah area. A soldier at the checkpoint was wounded.

At 1100 hours on 11 April Israeli helicopters attacked a building in Harat Hurayk and a parking lot at Al-Sahil hospital. Four persons were wounded and serious damage was done to nearby property.

At 1130 hours on 11 April Israeli helicopter gunships attacked the Mathanah locality in the outskirts of Shhur. Al-Hajj Fakhri Abu Mustafa was killed and four cars were badly damaged.

At 1300 hours on 11 April Israeli helicopters attacked the Abu Mahir restaurant in Jiyah opposite the Jiyah factory. A young man and a young woman in a car were killed, four persons were injured, and four vehicles were set on fire.

At 1200 hours on 11 April two Israeli helicopters overflew the area off the Zahrani installations, protecting an Israeli warship.

At 1230 hours on 11 April Israeli forces shelled the towns of Majdal Silm, Qabrikha, Tulin, Sawwanah and Damuriyah and the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah and Qa`qa`iyat al-Jisr.

At 1250 hours on 11 April Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the camps nearby and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire.

At 1500 hours on 11 April Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Hinniyah, Qulaylah and Zibqin. Two persons were wounded.

At 1700 hours on 11 April Israeli artillery shelled most of the villages in the Bint Jubayl area.

At 1700 hours on 11 April Israeli helicopters attacked the Dirdghayya-Shhur road near the UNIFIL checkpoint. A vehicle was hit by an air-to-ground missile and two persons were slightly injured.

At 1900 hours on 11 April an Israeli force of some 25 men entered the Jazzin area and took up positions in a road forces post at Kafr Falus after some of members of the Triad force had been withdrawn to an unknown destination

On 12 April the towns of Sultaniyah and Tibnin came under concentrated Israeli artillery fire which then spread to Atya al-Jabal, Haddatha, Haris, Shaqra, Bra`shit, Majdal Silm, Khirbat Silm, Qabrikha and Tulin. At 2000 hours warplanes attacked the towns of Haddatha and Majdal Silm, leaving a number of dead and wounded. Among those known to have been killed was Badriyah Murtada (45) from Dayr Qanun Ra's al-Ayn.

At 0830 hours on 12 April Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Siddiqin, Jibal al-Butm and Zibqin.

At 0900 hours on 12 April the outskirts of Kafr Rumman, Jibshit, Nabatiyah al-Fawqa, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Kafr Tibnit, Wadi Shukin, Adshit, Mayfadun, Mazra`at al-Hamra', Kafr Dijjal, Haruf, Habbush, Arabsalim, Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Jba`, Ayn Qana, Kafr Fila, Humin al-Fawqa and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1000 hours on 12 April the outskirts of Qulaylah, Mansuri and Ma`lliyah came under Israeli artillery fire. Two persons were wounded.

At 1045 hours on 12 April Israeli warplanes attacked the outskirts of Jibshit and the Maslakh neighbourhood of Nabatiyah. Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Yuhmur, Nabatiyah al-Fawqa, Mazra`at al-Hamra', Shukin, Mayfadun, Kafr Tibnit and Tibnin. One person was injured in Mayfadun.

At 1330 hours on 13 April the outskirts of Mashgharah, Ayn al-Tinah, Qilya and Zillaya came under Israeli artillery fire. The bombardment then spread to include the inner neighbourhoods of Mashgharah. The following were killed in the bombardment: Ghufran Salih Karim (17), Ibtisam Yusuf, Rana al-Yusuf, Rima al-Yusuf, Lara al-Yusuf, Ghadah al-Yusuf, Wajib Mun`im, and Absah Sha`shu`. The shelling continued intermittently before stopping at 2300 hours.

At 1500 hours on 12 April Israeli artillery shelled the towns of Aytit and Siddiqin and the outskirts of Bazuriyah. Two people were wounded.

At 1500 hours on 12 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Hurj al-Qatil area in Bi'r Hasan and a Syrian forces base in Azwa`I. A number of people were wounded.

At 1645 hours and again at 1735 hours on 12 April Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps.

At 1715 hours on 12 April Israeli aircraft attacked the abandoned Lebanese Army barracks in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa in four waves.

At 1800 hours on 12 April the outskirts of Sarba and the Muruj ridge came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1810 hours on 12 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Ayn Qana -Sarba – Humin al-Fawqa triangle, targeting a Lebanese Army checkpoint. At the same time, artillery shelled the towns of Kafr Rumman and Kafr Jawz. The home of Abbas Khaz`al in the Kafr Rumman locality of Nabatiyah was set on fire, and the fire was extinguished by civil defence workers.

At 1900 hours on 12 April Israeli aircraft attacked the outskirts of Siddiqin, the Jabal al-Kabir locality, Ma`lliyah and Izziyah. Three persons were wounded.

At 2230 hours on 12 April the outskirts of Nabatiyah al-Fawqa, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah and Kafr Tibnit and the environs of the abandoned Army barracks in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa came under Israeli artillery fire. This was accompanied by overflights by helicopter gunships.

Following Israeli threats to shell areas in the south, most of the inhabitants of those areas and of areas in the western Bekaa that had also come under artillery fire took refuge in Sidon and Beirut, in Qammatiyah and Kayfun in Alayh district, in Shiyah in B`abda district, in Dayr al-Qamar, Rumaylah, Jiyah, Jun and Kafr Him in the Shuf district, in Musaylikh in Nabatiyah district, in Jubb Jannin, Qir`awn, Saghbin, Khirbat Qanafar, Ba`lul and Aytanit in the western Bekaa district, and in Awza`I in B`abda district.

The displaced were accommodated in school. and government buildings, and some found shelter in the homes of relatives.

At 0700 hours on 13 April the outskirts of Duwayr, Kufur, Nabatiyah al-Fawqa, Zawtar al -Sharqiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Jibshit and Kafr Rumman came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 0800 hours on 13 April two Israeli helicopters flew over the coast at the Port of Tyre.

At 0700 hours on 13 April 1996 the towns of Qulaylah, Bazuriyah and Qana and the outskirts of Hannawiyah came under Israeli artillery fire. A number of persons were wounded.

At 1000 hours on 13 April Israeli warplanes attacked Wadi al-Qaysiyah between Majdal Silm and Sawwanah.

At 1015 on 12 April the towns of Kafra, Yatar, Haris, Haddatha, Ayta al-Jabal, Tibnin, Shaqra, Bra`shit, Majdal Silm and Khirbat Silm came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1030 hours on 13 April Israeli warplanes attacked Majdal Silm.

At 1030 hours on 13 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Zibqin, Jibal al-Butm and Shu`aytiyah.

At 1100 hours on 13 April the outskirts of Kanisah, Ramadiyah, Siddiqin, Qana and Hannawiyah came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1110 hours on 13 April Israeli warplanes attacked Marj Tibnin, where UNIFIL forces are stationed, and the area alongside Tibnin government hospital.

At 1400 hours on 13 April Israeli helicopters attacked an ambulance on the Manduri highway. The following Lebanese women and girls were killed: Nova Ahmad al-Aqlah (61), Fadwa Fayiz al-Khalid (19), Hudu' Fadi al-Khalid (13), Janine Abbas Juhha (3), Zaynab Abbas Juhha (11) and Mana Habib Shuwayr (31). A number of other persons were wounded.

At 1500 hours on 13 April Nabatiyah, outlying areas of Kafr Rumman, Habbush, Kafr Tibnit, Zibdin, Haruf, Jibshit, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Duwayr, Arabsalim, Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Jba`, Hamra, Kafr Sir, Qa`qa`iyat al-Jisr, Shukin and Mayfadun and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1700 hours on 13 April Israeli warplanes overflew the Jubb Jannin area.

At 1845 hours on 13 April a UNIFIL convoy entered Mansuri and evacuated 150 women, children and elderly persons. At 0100 hours on 14 April UNIFIL evacuated 30 more people from the town and took all of them to its Sidon base.

At 2230 on 13 April 1996 the towns of Mansuri, Qulaylah and Hinniyah and the outskirts of Dayr Qanun Ra's al-Ayn, Qana and Siddiqin came under intense Israeli artillery fife. This was accompanied by overflights by Israeli warplanes.

At 2300 hours on 13 April Israeli aircraft overflew Beirut and were met with ground-based anti-aircraft fire.

On 14 April the following attacks took place:

At 0010 hours Israeli warplanes made frequent low-altitude overflights of the Nabatiyah area.

At 0030 hours Israeli warplanes attacked an area near the gendarmerie post in Jba` in three waves. Serious damage was done to the gendarmerie building and to a number of houses and vehicles.

At 0100 hours the towns of Haris, Haddatha, Ayta al-Jabal, Tibnin, Kafra, Yatar, Shaqra, Bra`shit, Majdal Silm, Khirbat Silm, Bi'r al-Salasil, Sultaniyah, Jumayjimah and Safad al-Battikh came under Israeli artillery fire. One person was wounded. Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Tibnin.

At 0330 hours Israeli helicopters attacked Mashgharah al-Tahta and completely destroyed the home of Muhammad Qasim al-Anquni, a 33-year-old Lebanese. The electricity network in the town also sustained major damage.

At 0400 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the Nabatiyah – Kafr Rumman triangle while the Israeli artillery bombardment of villages in the Nabatiyah area continued intermittently. A young woman was wounded.

At 0630 hours the towns of Mahrunah, Ramadiyah, Siddiqin, Sa`idiyah, Kanisah and Rishknaniyah came under heavy fire from artillery and helicopters. The outskirts of Zibqin, Jibal al-Butm, Hannawiyah and Qana also came under artillery fire. Some 60 per cent of the inhabitants of Tyre and of the villages in the Tyre area fled towards the coast road and Sidon when threats aimed at them were broadcast by the Israeli enemy's radio service.

At 0800 hours heavy bombardment of villages in the Nabatiyah area was continuing, targeting the Bayad neighbourhood and the Shaqif club in Nabatiyah and the outskirts of Shukin, Mayfadun and Zibdin.

At 0925 hours Israeli warplanes carried out four consecutive attacks on the Jabal al-Kabir locality on the outskirts of Siddiqin and attacked an ambulance belonging to an Islamic charitable association on the Qulaylah road.

At 0930 hours the Jba` police station received a direct hit and was destroyed together with its Land-Rover vehicle (registration number 612061) and a number of civilian vehicles. The personnel of the post removed themselves to Kafr Bayt adjacent to Jba` because there were no safe places in the town. At 2030 hours on the same day they returned and installed themselves in the premises of the charitable society Jam`iyat al-Birr wa-al-Ihsan.

At 1000 and 1008 hours Israeli warplanes attacked Suhmur and its outskirts and were met by ground-based anti-aircraft fire from the Lebanese Army.

At 1010 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the home of Ghassan Mun`im in Suhmur. There were no reports of casualties.

At 1015 hours the Bayad neighbourhood of Nabatiyah was subjected to consecutive attacks by Israeli warplanes. These aircraft also attacked various places in the town.

At 1115 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the Bayadir neighbourhood in Haruf and targeted the Hasan Wahbah building.

At 1145 Israeli warplanes attacked a house under construction near the evangelical school in Nabatiyah. It belongs to Hasan Baytar.

At 1200 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the Libbaya woodland, and at 1208 hours they attacked the town itself and areas to the north, destroying the home of Hatam Hamid Isma`il.

At 1230 hours they attacked the towns of Libbaya and Yuhmur, and at 1235 hours they attacked, in two stages, Tallat al-Muqawamah and the town of Ayn al-Tinah. The warplanes continued their overflights of the area and repeatedly attacked towns and villages in the western Bekaa adjacent to the border strip.

At 1230 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the electric power station in Jumhur. Assistant Director Ali Hallawi of the security forces, who happened to be driving along the international road in his privately owned vehicle, was wounded. Two other persons were also wounded. Some high-tension cables and five electricity transformers were seriously damaged and set on fire, causing a break in power. Serious damage was done to an electricity company pick-up truck (registration number 785923 LKh).

At 1300 hours the towns of Duwayr and Sharqiyah came under intense artillery fire and the to w of Jibshit, Haruf, Yuhmur, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah were attacked by Israeli aircraft.

At 1440 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon at low altitudes and broke the sound barrier

At 1345 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Ayn Bu Siwar, Jba`, Kafr Fila, Ayn Dana and Humin al-Fawqa. There was an intense artillery bombardment of Nabatiyah, Humin al-Fawqa, Kafr Tibnit, Kafr Rumman, Habbush, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Yuhmur, Arnun, Shukin, Mayfadun, Zibdin, Duwayr, Kufur, Haruf, Jibshit, Sharqiyah, Nabatiyah al-Fawqa, Marj Haruf and of the Tul area and Al-Shahid al-Shaykh Raghib Barb hospital there.

At 1415 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the Maslakh neighbourhood in Nabatiyah and completely destroyed the unoccupied four-storey home of Khalil Shumar. An adjacent house was also seriously damaged. The intense artillery bombardment of the towns and villages in the Nabatiyah area continued, and four persons were wounded in Arabsalim.

At 1515 hours Israeli aircraft attacked the town of Bra`shit, firing a number of air-to-ground missiles.

At 1515 hours Israeli warplanes attacked a hill in the Qantarah locality between the towns of Sir`in al-Fawqa and Nabi Shit in Ba`labakk district.

At 1630 hours the Shawakir locality near the beach in Tyre and the outskirts of Siddiqin, Ramadiyah, Rishknaniyah, Jwayya and Mahrunah came under Israeli artillery fire. Nimrah Ra'uf Zayn, a 75-year-old Lebanese woman and a local resident, was wounded in the outskirts of Jwayya.

On 14 April Israeli naval craft patrolled Lebanese territorial waters off Adlun.

At 1730 hours an unidentified object fell in the fields of Bayt Mshayk-Jurd Rimasah, Ba`labakk district. It is believed to have been an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft

At 1830 hours Israeli aircraft attacked the home of Jamal Shu`ayb in the town of Sharqiyah.

At 1900 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps.

At 1910 hours Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Ayn Bu Siwar and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah.

At 1915 hours the town of Bafliyah was attacked by Israeli aircraft. Abd Khalil al-Zayn, a 60-year-old Lebanese, was killed and his home destroyed. The home of Hasan Isa Lubani was also destroyed, and a number of houses were seriously damaged. The bombardment also included the towns of Mazra`at Mushrif and Srifa.

At l915 hours an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at the Ma`rub highway near the Mazih marble works. At 2300 hours on the same day the artillery bombardment of Qana was stepped up.

On 15 April 1996 the Israeli artillery bombardment of villages and towns in the Nabatiyah area continued intermittently. At 0630 hours on that day the shelling targeted residential neighbourhoods in Nabatiyah, namely Saray, Bayad and Maslakh.

On 15 April the villages and towns of the Bint Jubayl area came under concentrated Israeli artillery fire. This was accompanied by overflights by Israeli warplanes and helicopters.

At 0630 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Wadi Jilu highway and Bazuriyah. The Suhmurani shop and a civilian vehicle parked by the road in the location targeted were destroyed.

At 0100 hours on 15 April Israeli aircraft overflew the Tyre area. The town of Ramadiyah and the outskirts of Kanisah, Shu`aytiyah, Siddiqin, Qana and Aytit came under intermittent artillery fire. The bombardment of these towns was renewed at 0900 hours on the same day, and it extended to the outskirts of Qana, Jibal al-Butm and Ramadiyah.

At 0800 hours on 15 April 1996 Israeli forces shelled the towns of Habbush, Kafr Rumman and Dayr al-Zahrani intensively. Other villages in the Nabatiyah area also come under intermittent fire accompanied by overflights by warplanes.

At 0900 hours on 15 April Nabatiyah came under Israeli artillery fire. A bakery belonging to Muhammad and Mahmud Zahri was completely destroyed by fire. The fire was extinguished by Nabatiyah civil defence personnel.

At 0950 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked Mansuri. The towns of Sama`iyah, Shu`aytiyah, Kanisah, Ramadiyah, Qulaylah, Hinniyah and Majdal Zun came under heavy artillery fire.

At 1045 hours on 15 April, while His Excellency Mr. Nabih Berri, President of the National Assembly, was making a visit to Tyre, Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier at low altitudes. The city was shaken, but there was no damage.

At 1115 hours on 15 April Al-Janub Hospital in Nabatiyah came under heavy bombardment. Serious damage was done to the upper floor, and one person was injured.

At 1145 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Majda Silm.

At 1200 hours on 15 April the freighter Tatalimar, attempting to enter the port of Sidon to unload its cargo of fertilizer, was prevented from doing so by an Israeli boat and disappeared from sight. Israeli boats continued to patrol offshore. The force consisted of a large naval vessel and two boats with two helicopters for protection patrolling off the Shawakir neighbourhood of Tyre and a large naval vessel and two boats patrolling the coast from Qasimiyah northwards.

At 1200 hours on 15 April Israeli aircraft attacked parts of Tyre, namely the area near the Imam al-Sadr institutions in the Shawakir neighbourhood, the antiquities quarter and the Roman arena.

At 1245 hours on 15 April the towns of Jba`, Ayn Dana, Jar~u`, Arabsalim, Ayn Bu Siwar, Habbush, Kafr Rumman, Nabatiyah, Haruf, Jibshit, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah came under heavy Israeli artillery fire. The towns of Kafr Tibnit, Shukin, Mayfadun, Zibdin, Hamra and Qa`qa`iyat al-Jisr came under intermittent artillery fire, and there were constant overflights by warplanes. At 1645 hours the bombardment was extended to the towns of Numayriyah and Zifta.

At 1250 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked parts of Tyre, namely the area near the Lebanese Army barracks in the Shawakir neighbourhood, the vegetable market and the area near the Imam clinic and the Wahdah mosque in the Ma`shuq neighbourhood.

At 1300 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Majdal Silm and Khirbat Silm.

At 1330 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Shaqra.

At 1330 hours on 15 April the outskirts of Jwayya, Mahrunah, Aytit and Dana came under intense artillery fire.

At 1700 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the outskirts of Dayr Amis and the Shawakir neighbourhood of Tyre.

At 1700 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked a building in the Marijah neighbourhood of Burr al-Barajinah. The two-storey building collapsed. The ground floor was occupied by a displaced family. Six civilians were slightly injured, most of them children.

At 1700 hours on 15 April the towns of Qana and Jwayya came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1700 hours on 15 April the towns of Suhmur and Yuhmur came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1730 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the electricity station in Bsalim in the Matn district. It was destroyed and serious damage was done to nearby houses.

At 1845 hours on 15 April the town of Ayn al-Tinah came under artillery fire. The shelling extended to the road leading to Tumat, Niha and the Markaba thermal power station. The shelling stopped at 2145 hours.

At 1850 hours on 15 April shots were fired from an Israeli gunboat in the direction of the buoys opposite the Tapline/Zahrani port.

At 1915 hours on 15 April the Qulaylah beach and plain, in the Tyre district, came under artillery fire. At the same time, helicopters attacked the Rome area in two waves.

At 2030 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Bra`shit.

At 2200 hours on 15 April an Israeli warship together with a gunboat and two rubber boats were seen 4 kilometres off Sarafand. The rubber boats approached to within 100 metres of the shore.

At 2310 hours on 15 April Israeli warplanes attacked the environs of Saghbin. They bombed the home of Munir Matta, setting fire to the house, killing Munir, wounding his two children, Wisam and Raymuna, and setting fire to his car.

At 0250 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Ayn al-Tinah hills and the outskirts of Libbaya and the town itself.

At 0400 hours on 16 April the shelling of villages and towns in the Nabatiyah area continued, concentrating heavily on Jibshit, Abba, Haruf, Hadshit, Zibdin, Shukin, Qa`qa`iyat al-Jisr, Mayfadun, Tul, Kufur, Kafr Rumman, Habbush, Nabatiyah, Arabsalim, Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Jba`, Ayn Qana and Humin al-Fawqa, on the outskirts of Numayriyah and Zifta and on the Anita and Jabal Safi hills. The shelling was accompanied by overflights by Israeli warplanes.

At 0400 hours on 16 April Israeli helicopters attacked Ayn al-Hulwah refugee camp. They damaged a house and wounded three persons.

At 0645 hours on 16 April the villages of Majdal Bun, Mansuri, Hinniyah, Qulaylah, Sama`iyah and Dayr Qanun Ra's al-Ayn came under Israeli artillery fire. The town of Sama`iyah was subjected to Israeli attacks.

At 0730 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Ayn Bu Siwar

At 0830 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Jarju`, while the shelling of towns in the Nabatiyah area continued.

At 0900 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the villages of Mansuri and Qulaylah.

At 0955 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Khirbat Silm, the Bi'r al-Salasil and Wadi al-Qaysiyah neighbourhoods of Majdal Silm, and Jumayjimah, firing a number of rockets.

Following the bombardment and the Israeli threats and warnings to most of the villages of the south and the western Bekaa, some 90 per cent of the inhabitants left and took refuge in the following areas:

Beirut (Musaytibah, Bastah, Al-Tariq al-Jadidah, Zuqaq al-Balat, Tariq al-Sham, Ashrafiyah. Karantina);

Matn (Hayy al-Zuaytiriyah in Fanar, Sibtiyah, Bushariyah, Judaydah, B`abdat);

Kaarawan (Juniyah, Harat Sakhr);

B`abda (Al-Dahiyah al-Janubiyah, Kafr Shima, Khalawat, Falugha, Khuraybah, Bmaryam);

Alayh (Alayh, Bshamun, Shuwayfat, Qmatiyah, Kayfun, Basatin, Aramun, Kafr Matta);

Shuf (B`aqlin, Niha, Mazbud, Mughayriyah, Kitrmaya, Jiyah, Rumaylah, Barja, Na`imah, Dawhat al-Hiss, Jun, Bsaba, Shhim, Dariya, Anut, Hasrut, Siblin, Wardaniyah, Dalhun, Kafr Nabrakh, Baruk, Wadi al-Zaynah, Za`ruriyah, Bayt al-Din);

Zahlah (Ayn Kafr Zabad, Harat al-Fikani, Ali al-Nahri, Riyaq, Sa`d Nayil, Ta`nayil, Ta`lbaya, Jdita, Jalala, Qabb Ilyas, Barr Ilyas);

Jubayl (Lasa, Ayn al-Ghuwaybah, Almat);

Ba`labakk (Brital, Talya, Sir`in al-Fawqa, Timnin al-Fawqa, Bidnayil, Timnin al-Tahta, Qasr Naba, Buday, Labwah, Yunin, Nabi Uthman, Ba`labakk, Khidr, Dayr al-Ahmar);

Western Bekaa (Jubb Jannin, Ba`lul, Lala, Kamid al-Lawz, Qir`awn, Kifrayya, Khirbat Qanafar, Saghbin, Bab Mari`, Ayn Zubdah, Aytanit);

Rashayya (Kafr Mishki, Kawkabah, Abu Arab, Jubb Farah, Majda Balhis, Mari al-Zuhur, Kafr Danis, Khirbat Ruha, Rafid, Mdukha);

The North (Tripoli, Mina').

All but a small number of the displaced were accommodated in schools and public buildings and the remainder took refuge in the homes of relatives.

Fadl Mahmud Atawi and Fatimah Ali Hamzah were killed, Ayidah Iyad was missing and four people were injured as a result of the attack on the town of Jumayjimah on 16 April 1996.

At 1045 hours on 16 April 1996 Israeli warplanes overflew the Ba`labakk area.

At 1115 hours on 16 April Nabatiyah and the town of Haruf came under Israeli artillery fire. Fires were started on pastureland at Haruf, and when civil defence personnel tried to extinguish them they came under fire. No one was injured.

Between 1130 and 1200 hours on 16 April the towns of Batulayh, Dayr Qanun Ra's al-Aye, Rishknaniyah, Siddiqin, Qana and Dayr Amis came under artillery fire and were subjected to air raids by Israeli warplanes.

At 1140 hours on 16 April the Russian ship FD 1341, loaded with marble and machinery, was leaving the port of Sidon when it was intercepted and escorted out to sea by an Israeli gunboat on station between Sidon and the Zahrani.

At 1215 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Sharqiyah.

Between 1400 and 1440 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Khirbat Silm and Yatar.

At 1430 hours on 16 April two Israeli warships were seen off the coast at the Hammam al-Askari (Bain militaire) in Beirut.

At 1550 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Wadi al-Musaylih al-Nijariyah locality.

At 1600 hours on 16 April Israeli aircraft attacked Timnin al-Tahta. Two people were wounded and serious damage was done.

At 1600 hours on 16 April a shell fell on the balcony of a house belonging to Michel Albab in the Hawsh al-Zara`inah neighbourhood of Zahlah. No one was injured.

At 1630 hours on 16 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Musaylih al-Nijariyah highway. The road was closed to traffic in both directions and the telephone lines were cut.

At 1715 hours on 16 April the vessel Tanalimar was allowed to enter the port of Sidon.

At 2200 hours on 16 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Sharifah neighbourhood in Habbush. Several persons were wounded.

At 2315 hours on 16 April flares were fired from the deck of an Israeli gunboat off Sarafand.

At 2350 hours on 16 April an Israeli rubber boat approached the Sarafand coast off the Khidr neighbourhood and its occupants tried to disembark. Shots were fired in their direction and they withdrew towards the open sea.

At 2355 hours on 16 April the town of Qana came under artillery fire.

At 0015 hours on 17 April three Israeli rubber boats protected by two Israeli helicopters approached the shore in the Shier locality in Sarafand.

The people of the villages in the south continued to flee towards safe areas. On 16 April a number of families arrived in the Sinn al-Fir, Nab`ah, Hadath, Qarnayil, Duris, Bayt Shan and Mu`aysirah areas.

At 0830 hours on 17 April the outskirts of Rishknaniyah, Dayr Amis, Siddiqin and Qana came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 0945 hours on 17 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Majdal Bun, Mansuri, Hinniyah and Izziyah.

It transpired that the shell that had fallen on the balcony of Michel Albabs house in Zahlah was of the defensive type. The Israeli air raid on Timnin al-Tahta killed Sana' Husayn Nasir, a 41-year-old Lebanese woman, wounded six other persons, completely destroyed one house and caused serious damage to a number of others, including those of Colonel Muhammad Ali Dour and Sergeant Abbas Husayn al-Hallani, both of the internal security forces. In the shelling of Sharqiyah, All Ibrahim Badran (60) was killed.

At 0600 hours on 17 April 1996 three rocket projectiles fell in Marj Uyun, one of them in front of the government-owned Saray building. Maryam Na`im Dawud, a 59-year-old Lebanese woman, was wounded, and serious damage was done to the Saray building and to two unserviceable Rover vehicles belonging to the Khiyam police station.

At 0845 hours on 17 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Kafra and Shaqra and the Wadi al-Qaysiyah locality, firing a number of rockets. The home of Muhammad Ibrahim Ghamlush in Shaqra was destroyed.

At 1100 hours on 17 April 1996 Mansuri, Izziyah, Rishknaniyah, the Asi locality, Siddiqin and the Qulaylah plain came under intense artillery fire. Israeli warplanes also attacked these towns and the Qana-Ra's al-Salib-Aytit highway.

At 1145 hours on 17 April Israeli warplanes attacked the outskirts of Jwayya and Mahrunah, and the outskirts of Sil`a and Shahabiyah came under artillery fire.

At 1200 hours on 17 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Ayn al-Qissis locality in the outskirts of Qana.

At 1250 hours on 17 April Israeli warplanes attacked an ambulance in the town of Abba. Those inside, including Mustafa Mansur, were injured. In the meantime the artillery bombardment of villages in the Nabatiyah area continued.

At 1300 hours on 17 April the towns of Ma`rub, garish, Srifa and Humayri and the outskirts of Ma`rakah, Tura, Abbasiyah, Burj Rahhal and Dayr Qanun al-Nahr came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1315 hours on 17 April Israeli warships were seen patrolling the open sea off Jall al-Bahr.

At 1340 hours on 17 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Bayad neighbourhood in Nabatiyah. A dairy and the home of Abd Faran were damaged and set on fire. Civil defence personnel endeavoured to extinguish the fires.

At 1400 hours on 17 April the hills south of Mashgharah and Ayn al-Tinah came under intermittent artillery fire that did not stop until 1900 hours.

At 1500 hours on 17 April Israeli aircraft attacked the town of Qallawiyah. Four persons were wounded.

At 1700 hours on 17 April two unidentified bodies were taken to Tibnin government hospital following an Israeli attack on a civilian vehicle on the Shaqra road.

At 1745 hours on 17 April the shelling centred on the towns of Shukin, Kafr Rumman, Mayfadun, Marj Haruf and Wadi al-Rufur. One person was wounded in Mayfadun.

At 0700 hours on 18 April Israeli warplanes and helicopter gunships attacked Nabatiyah and Nabatiyah al-Fawqa. Four houses were destroyed in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa. At 0730 hours they attacked the town of Kafr Tibnit and destroyed the home of Tawfiq Khalil Faqih and the Jawad Malli building in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa. The body of a 12-year-old boy was recovered, and six wounded persons were rescued from the debris of the building. When the Red Cross proceeded to lend assistance it was targeted by the artillery fire.

At 0730 hours on 18 April Israeli warplanes bombarded the towns of Majdal Zun, Mansuri, Hinniyah and Qulaylah, and the towns of Kanisah and Ramadiyah came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 0735 hours on 18 April the town of Jun. in the Shuf district, came under artillery fire from Israeli positions and Lahad forces in Anan and Sfariyah after the two latter towns had come under artillery fire.

The inhabitants continued to leave for safe areas, and a number of families took refuge in the B`alabakk, Matn, B`abda and Kasrawan districts. They were accommodated in government schools and in a few homes.

It transpired that the shelling of the Malli building in Nabatiyah al-Fawqa killed nine persons, namely: Ali Hasan al-Abid (12), Fawziyah al- Khawaja (40), Muhammad Hasan al-Abid (14), Huda Hasan al-Abid (9), Nuha Hasan al-Abid (7), Lubna Qasim Ramadan (20), Ahmad All Basal (29), Murtada Hasan al-Abid (4) and Nur Hasan al-Abid (3 days).

At 0820 hours on 18 April 1996 Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Siddiqin, and it and the towns of Ramadiyah and Rishknaniyah came under Israeli artillery fire.

Between 0900 and 1000 hours on 18 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Khirbat Silm, Majda Silm, Wadi al-Qaysiyah, Rafra and Yatar.

At 1130 hours on 18 April the outskirts of Jun came under Israeli artillery fire, forcing some of the town's inhabitants and families that had taken refuge there from the south to flee to safer places. The shelling of Jun at 0735 on the same day damaged an abandoned house belonging to Khalil al-Nashif. The shelling stopped at 1400 hours.

Between 1300 and 1320 hours on 18 April Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of Libbaya.

At 1400 hours on 18 April two Israeli warships were seen, one off Manarah and one off Rawshah in Beirut.

At 1400 hours on 18 April the highway from Rumaylah to the Shuf district came under artillery fire from Israeli warships out to sea. m e shelling continued intermittently until 1645 hours.

At 1400 hours on 18 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Shaqra.

At 1400 hours on 18 April the town of Qana came under heavy artillery fire. A UNIFIL base was hit and set on fire and there were a number of casualties among UNIFIL personnel and civilians. As a preliminary estimate, it seemed that there were 74 dead and about 120 wounded.

At 1500 hours on 18 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns of Khirbat Silm and Majda Silm.

At 1745 hours on 18 April four Israeli warships were seen out to sea off Ramlat al-Bayda in Beirut.

On 18 April the departure of inhabitants of the southern region for other areas continued and a number of families reached the Shuf, Dahiyah, Matn, B'abda and Ba`labakk areas.

At 0430 hours on 19 April the towns of Jibshit, Adshit, Mayfadun, the Bayed and Ksar Za`tar neighbourhoods of Nabatiyah, Kafr Tibnit, Kafr Rumman, Habbush, Arabsalim, Jars`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Jba` and the Milta and Jabal Safi hills came under artillery fire.

At 0700 hours on 19 April Majdal Bun, Mansuri, Hinniyah, Qulaylah and Sama`iyah came under Israeli artillery fire. Israeli helicopter gunships also carried out attacks on these towns

In the shelling of Tallat Mayfadun, the Tumat -Niha road and the outskirts of Ayn al-Tinah five persons were killed, namely Sami Salman Milham (21), Ali Hasan Madi (21) and Ali Muhammad Salman Qasim.

Their bodies remained in the outskirts of Ayn al-Tinah and it was impossible to remove them because of the hazardous situation.

At 1030 hours on 19 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns of Ma`rub and Barish.

At 1100 hours on 19 April Israeli forces shelled the environs of Rashidiyah refugee camp. Mahmud Jabir al-Khalil (50) was killed and two persons were wounded.

At 1100 hours on 19 April Israeli warships shelled the coast road in the Rumaylah-Awwali area. The road was closed to traffic in both directions. At 1530 hours the shelling stopped. The road was open again from 1630 to 1730 hours, when the shelling resumed.

At 1215 hours on 19 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns of Jarju` and Arabsalim.

At 1240 hours on 19 April an Israeli warship was seen off the Hammam al-Askari (Bain militaire) in Beirut.

At 1430 hours on 19 April Israeli aircraft attacked an area near the Sari al-Din station in the Hawsh neighbourhood of Tyre.

Between 1600 and 1630 hours on 19 April Israeli forces shelled outlying areas of Libbaya.

At 1630 hours on 19 April Israeli aircraft made mock attacks on Nabatiyah, breaking the sound barrier.

At 1645 hours on 19 April Israeli aircraft attacked the outskirts of Jibal al-Butm, Zibqin and Siddiqin.

At 1810 hours on 19 April the town of Jwayya came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1930 hours on 19 April the environs of Ayn al-Tinah came under Israeli artillery fire. The bombardment stopped at 2030 hours.

At 1930 hours on 19 April the towns of Jibal al-Butm, Zibqin, Siddiqin, Shu`aytiyah, Kanisah, Ramadiyah and Rishknaniyah came under heavy artillery fire.

At 0700 hours on 20 April the towns of Majdal Zun, Mansuri, Izziyah and Hinniyah came under [Israeli artillery fire].

Because of the continuing shelling of southern villages, the departure of inhabitants for the Jubayl, Shuf, Ba`labakk, Matn, Hirmil, B`abda and Kasrawan areas continued.

At 0930 hours on 20 April 1996 Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Majda Silm and Shaqra. At 1010 hours they attacked Jumayjimah and fired a number of rockets.

At 1015 hours on 20 April the intermittent artillery bombardment of the Rumaylah -Awwali River area by Israeli warships resumed. It caused a Mercedes vehicle driven by Sergeant Mufid Shams al-Din of the security forces to collide with an electricity pole at Jisr al-Awwali. The sergeant broke his right leg and was taken to Hammud hospital in Sidon. The shelling also damaged the home of Nazih Kulayb before stopping at 1030 hours. The road was reopened in stages from 1115 hours onwards, and the shelling resumed at 1150 hours. As of 1930 hours on 20 April vehicles were allowed to pass in groups.

At 1030 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Qallawiyah, Sawwanah, Jumayjimah,Shaqraa and Majdal Silm.

At 1100 hours on 20 April an Israeli warship was seen off Ayn al-Muraysa in Beirut.

At 1245 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Hinniyah and Qulaylah and the outskirts of Hawsh in the Tyre district.

At 1300 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Adshit and Jibshit and the approaches to Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah.

At 1335 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes in four waves attacked the Wadi al-Burjayn locality opposite the Hamra' locality and above the road leading to the Tayr Falsayh bridge in the outskirts of Zrariyah. They fired eight rockets. The highway between Zrariyah and Tayr Falsay was cloned when six rockets fell in the middle of the road. It was reopened to traffic in both directions after a force from the Lebanese Army had completed work on filling the crater.

At 1400 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Wadi al-Qaysiyah area and fired a number of rockets. The town of Majdal Silm came under intense artillery fire, receiving five shells per minute.

At 1600 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Ramadiyah, Hinniyah, Qulaylah, Mansuri, Sama`iyah, Ma`lliyah and Zibqin and the outskirts of Dayr Amis and Dayr Qanun Ra's al-Aye.

At 1600 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes attacked garish. The headmaster of the town's government school, Munir Sami Sa`d (48), from Ma`rakah, was killed.

At 1745 hours on 20 April 1996 the Lebanese Army checkpoint at the Mansuri intersection came under Israeli artillery fire. Sergeant All Diyab was killed, and Sergeant Abd Allah Muhsin, Sergeant Munir al-Hayik and Private Husayn Ramu were wounded. Sergeants Abd Allah Muhsin and Munir al-Hayik were taken to the Najm hospital in Tyre. Because of his serious condition, Private Ramu was taken to a hospital in Sidon where he died a short time later.

At 2300 hours on 20 April Israeli warplanes attacked the towns of Duwayr, Abba, Haruf, Jibshit and Qusaybah. Israeli helicopter gunships also attacked two civilian vehicles, one on the Adshit-Qusaybah road and the other between Adshit and Jibshit. Five persons from Zrariyah and Qusaybah were injured.

On 21 April intermittent artillery bombardment of the international road in the Rumaylah-Awwali locality continued. At about 0700 hours Sergeant Samih Lawbani of the security forces was wounded in the left leg while driving along the road. He was taken to Hammud hospital in Sidon.

At 0830 hours on 21 April the Nabatiyah area came under intermittent artillery fire from Israeli positions.

At 0850 hours on 21 April the Adlun-Qasimiyah highway came under fire from Israeli warships. The shelling stopped at 1550 hours. Two Israeli warships remained on station off Khayzaran, and traffic continued to move with caution.

At 0900 on 21 April two Israeli warships on station off Adlun shelled the area between Khayzaran and Abu al-Aswad.

At 1100 hours on 21 April the town of Habbush came under Israeli artillery fire. Private Abbas Haydar Jabir of the Lebanese Army was wounded and taken to Al-Najdah al-Sha`biyah hospital in Nabatiyah.

At 1240 hours on 21 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Shaqra and fired a number of rockets. Six persons from Shaqra were wounded.

At 1330 hours on 21 April two Israeli warships were seen off the Riviera beach in Beirut.

At 1545 hours on 21 April the coast road came under artillery fire from Israeli warships on station off Khayzaran.

At 1930 hours on 21 April an Israeli warship was seen off Manarah in Beirut.

At 0100 hours on 22 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Khirbat Silm and Wadi al-Qaysiyah, firing a number of rockets. The town of Sultaniyah also came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 0500 hours on 22 April the Maslakh and Bayed neighbourhoods of Nabatiyah and the Mar] Uyun highway came under Israeli artillery fire. Israeli aircraft also attacked the towns of Jibshit, Abba and Duwayr.

At 0930 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft attacked outlying areas of Khirbat Silm.

At 1030 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft attacked the outskirts of Abba, Duwayr, Jibshit and Adshit.

At 1230 hours on 22 April the Jabal al-Kabir neighbourhood in Siddiqin came under heavy artillery fire. The town of Hannawiyah also came under artillery bombardment, and one person was wounded.

At 1400 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft attacked the town of Majdal Silm. The town of Sultaniyah also came under heavy artillery fire.

Between 1500 and 1615 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft twice attacked the Naimah hills.

At 1500 hours on 22 April the Bayed neighbourhood and the Huraniyah Mosque neighbourhood of Nabatiyah came under intensive artillery fire.

At 1710 hours on 22 April the outskirts of Mahrunah came under artillery fire.

At 1825 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Sarba-Ayb Dana road and the Humin al-Fawqa-Ayn Qana triangle.

At 1830 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Jabal al-Kabir neighbourhood in Siddiqin three times. They also broke the sound barrier at low altitude over Tyre, breaking the windows of houses and causing the collapse of an old building owned by Ibrahim Haddad in the Catholic quarter. No casualties were reported.

At 1830 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft overflew Sidon at low altitudes and broke the sound barrier. The windows of the government-owned Saray building were broken.

At 1900 hours on 22 April Israeli aircraft attacked Wadi al-Qaysiyah a number of times and attacked and destroyed the water tank in the town of Sultaniyah. The tank had supplied a number of villages in the Bint Jubayl area.

Because of the continuing Israeli attacks on the south and the western Bekaa, the departure of inhabitants for safe areas continued. A number of families fled to the Dahiyah al-Janubiyah, Shuf, Kasrawan, Matn, B`abda, Alayh, Ba`labakk and Hirmil areas.

At 0930 hours on 23 April 1996 the towns of Haruf, Jibshit, Duwayr and Adshit came under Israeli artillery fire. This was accompanied by overflights by warplanes and helicopters.

At 1100 on 22 April Israeli warplanes attacked the outskirts of Ramadiyah, Kanisah and Shu`aytiyah. The towns of Mansuri and Qulaylah also ^me under intermittent Israeli artillery fire.

On 23 April the shelling of villages in the Bint Jubayl area continued, accompanied by frequent overflights by warplanes.

As a result of the Israeli shelling of the Na`imah hills on 22 April a woman was wounded.

At 1130 hours on 23 April Israeli aircraft attacked the outskirts of Siddiqin and Rishknaniyah.

At 1200 hours on 23 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns of Sama`iyah and Dayr Qanum Ra's al-Aye.

At 1300 hours on 23 April an Israeli warship wee Been off Manarah in Beirut.

At 1300 hours on 23 April the environs of Ayn al-Tinah and Mashgharah came under Israeli artillery fire that continued until 1345 hours before stopping.

At 1500 hours on 23 April the towns of Sama`iyah, Qulaylah, Hinniyah, Izziyah and Mansuri came under artillery fire and were subjected to intermittent attacks. One person was wounded in Sama`iyah.

At 0700 hours on 24 April 1996 the Bayed neighbourhoods, Nabatiyah al–Fawqa, the Haruf woodland and Jibshit came under Israeli artillery fire. Outlying arena of Kafr Rumman, Habbush and Kafr Tibnit also came under machine-gun fire.

On 23 April 1996, because of the continued Israeli attacks on the villages and towns of the south and the western Bekaa, a number of families fled to the B`abda, Jubayl, Kasrawan and Balabakk areas.

On the evening of 23 April 1996 three bodies were recovered, these of Sami Sulayman Milham, All Husayn Madi and All Muhammad Salmon Qasim. They were taken to the Imam Khomeini hospital in Ba`labakk. The whereabouts of the other two bodies remains unknown.

At 0800 hours on 24 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Sultaniyah and fired a number of rockets.

At 0930 hours on 24 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Jwayya -Wadi Jilu -Wadi Haydar highway, closing the road. The towns of Siddiqin and Jibal al-Butm came under heavy artillery fire.

At 1100 hours on 24 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Dib`al-Jwayya-Ma`rakah triangle, closing the Ma`rakah road. At 1115 hours they attacked and closed the Bafliyah-Dib`al road.

At 1430 hours on 24 April Israeli aircraft attacked the outskirts of Siddiqin and Dana, and the towns of Sama`iyah and Dayr Qanun Ra's al-Aye came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1520 hours on 24 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Ramadiyah-Qua highway in Wadi al-Wardani. Three persons were wounded.

At 1605 hours on 24 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Hamra locality in the outskirts of Zrariyah, closing the road between Zrariyah and Brayqi`. At 1900 hours the Lebanese Army set to work to reopen it.

At 1630 hours on 24 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Al-Ayn locality between Brayqi` and Zrariyah, Kafr Di]]al and Qa`qa`iyat al-Jisr, the towns of Jibshit and Adshit and the Zawtar al-Gharbiyah highway. The road between Zawtar al-Gharbiyah and Mayfadun was closed. They also attacked the Habbush -Arabsalim bridge and outlying areas of Mayfadun.

At 1645 hours on 24 April Israeli aircraft attacked the outskirts of Siddiqin, Jibal al-Butm and Rishknaniyah.

At 1830 hours on 24 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Dayr Antar intersection.

The movement of displaced persons from the southern villages abated, while the task of accommodating and assisting them continued.

At 0800 hours on 25 April the town of Siddiqin came under heavy Israeli artillery fire. At 0950 hours Israeli aircraft attacked the Hawsh Basmah area.

At 0800 hours on 25 April 1996 the town of Siddiqin came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 0950 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Hawsh Basmah area of Tyre.

At 1015 hours on 25 April the southern part of Mashgharah town and of Jabal Ayn al-Tinah came under Israeli artillery fire. The bombardment stopped at 1130 hours.

At 1030 hours on 25 April 1996 Israeli warplanes attacked the Hannawiyah-Ayn B`al highway near Qabr Hiram (Hiram's Tomb), closing the road.

At 1115 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked and closed the Jwayya-Mahrunah highway. The town of Mahrunah came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1230 hours on 25 April the outskirts of Jba` and Ayn Bu Siwar came under heavy Israeli artillery fire.

At 1300 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked the outskirts of Sawwanah and Khirbat Silm and fired a number of rockets. The artillery bombardment and the Israeli attacks closed the Sultaniyah highway and all the roads leading to the Nabatiyah area.

At 1315 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Jibshit road.

On 25 April the artillery bombardment of the coast road in the Rumaylah-Jisr al-Awwali locality continued. At 1300 hours on the same day Jamil Urabi was injured by the shelling while he was crossing the wooden bridge in the Alaman locality. He was taken to the Labib hospital in Sidon.

On 25 April the Nepalese contingent of UNIFIL brought to Tibnin hospital Amin Ali Kawrani (20), Muhammad Ali Salim (24), Husayn Hasan Kawrani (20), Hasan Ali Kawrani (24) and Hasan Haydar al-Qasim 27), Lebanese nationals wounded by the Israeli bombardment of Yatar. They were then taken to Jabal Amil hospital in Tyre.

At 1500 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes twice attacked the Kafr Zabad Plain in the Ayn al-Bayda area.

At 1515 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked the town of Aytit.

On 25 April 1996 UNIFIL opened the Jwayya-Wadi Jilu highway that had been closed by Israeli attacks.

At 1910 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked and closed the Karf Fila-Jba` highway. At 1915 hours on the same day they attacked the Humin al-Fawqa-Ayn Dana highway, which remained passable.

On 25 April Israeli warplanes and helicopter gunships strafed the outskirts of Shaqra and Bra`shit with heavy machine-gun fire and overflew the two towns.

At 1930 hours on 25 April the southern part of Mashgharah town and of Jabal Ayn al-Tinah came under Israeli artillery fire. The bombardment stopped at 2300 hours.

At 2125 hours on 25 April 1996 Israeli warplanes attacked the Haruf -Jibshit road and the Jibshit-Adshit road.

At 2250 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked the Haruf-Jibshit highway in two waves.

At 2310 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes launched 10 attacks on the Kafr Dijjal-Shukin-Abba-Jibshit-Adshit roads. Enemy helicopters also strafed the Mayfadun-Zawtar road with machine-gun fire.

At 2350 hours on 25 April Israeli warplanes attacked Wadi al-Qaysiyah and the Khanuq area in two waves.

At 0200 hours on 26 April Israeli warplanes attacked and closed the Jwayya-Wadi Jilu highway. At 0500 hours they attacked the town of Aytit.

On 25 April 1996, because of continuing Israeli attacks, a number of families fled to the B`abda, Ba`labakk and Jubayl areas.

At 0740 hours on 26 April 1996 Israeli aircraft attacked the Wadi al-Qaysiyah locality and the outskirts of Khirbat Silm. Most of the villages of the Bint Jubayl area also came under artillery fire. At 0915 hours the aircraft resumed their attacks on the Wadi al-Qaysiyah locality and the town of Majda Silm.

At 0800 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked and closed the Ramadiyah-Kanisah-Shu`aytiyah highway. The towns of Qulaylah, Hinniyah, Dayr Amis, Siddiqin and Jibal al-Butm also came under heavy artillery bombardment.

At 0930 hours on 26 April 1996 the Bayad quarter, Tsar Zu`aytir, the Rufur road, the outskirts of Haruf, and the towns of Jibshit, Adshit, Qusaybah, Kafr Sir, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah came under artillery fire. This was accompanied by overflights by Israeli aircraft. Serious damage was done to homes, to the traffic department and emergency services department, to the medical centre and to the fire station belonging to the security forces in Nabatiyah. Israeli aircraft also attacked and closed the Ann Dana-Jba`-Kafr Fila road.

At 1000 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked areas along the Litani River between Jun and Kafr Falus. They then returned and again attacked the same locality three consecutive times before 1100 hours.

At 1015 hours on 26 April Israeli warplanes overflew the Dahr al-Baydar and Ba`labakk areas and were met with ground-based anti-aircraft fire.

At 1100 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the outskirts of Tulin. At 1150 hours they attacked the town of Majdal Silm.

At 1200 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns ofSiddiqinn and Dib`al. The Dayr Qanun Ra's al-Aye intersection and its environs came under artillery fire at 1300 hours.

At 1215 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns of Dayr Antar, Kafr Dunin, Bi'r al-Salasil and Khirbat Silm. The town ofShaqraa also came under artillery fire, and Hasib Muhammad Salman (26), a local inhabitant, wee killed.

At 1230 hours on 26 April an Israeli warship was seen off the Riviera beach in Beirut.

At 1250 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns of Khirbat Silm and Qallawiyah.

At 1330 hours on 26 April the artillery bombardment of the Bayad and Rear Zu`aytir neighbourhoods of Nabatiyah and of the Haruf pastureland was stepped up.

At 1730 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the Hawr road, setting fire to the home of Hasan Dahir.

At 1900 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the town of Khirbat Silm. Israeli artillery shelled the towns ofShaqraa, Bra`shit, Majdal Silm and Khirbat Silm.

At 1900 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the road from Zifta to Zahrani and the Fanar hospital intersection, closing it to vehicles. At 2005 hours they attacked the same locality as well as the towns of Adshit, Jibshit and Tul, the Kufur -Bayad neighbourhood and the Jabal al-Ahmar road. In the meantime, the artillery bombardment of the town of Zibdin, the Bayad neighbourhood and the Kafur road continued until 2100 hours.

At 1920 hours on 26 April Israeli aircraft attacked the towns of Mansuri, Qulaylah, Hinniyah, Sama`iyah, Ramadiyah, Malikiyah and Shu`aytiyah.

The Lebanese Government strongly condemns these actions undertaken by Israel. They developed into a large-scale act of aggression against Lebanon in which wholesale massacres of civilians took place and there was appalling destruction of homes, hospitals and places of business and of the infrastructure of the Lebanese national economy.

Because of this act of aggression by Israel, more than 180 citizens have been killed, more than 400 have been injured and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

This aggression is part of a series of Israeli attacks that represent flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and independence and are in breach of international law and human rights. Their barbarous features – especially the ambulance massacre, the families wiped out under the rubble of their homes, and the Qana massacre of 112 civilian citizens, including a large number of children and women, who had sought the protection of the United Nations – provide evidence of the aggressive character of the brutal Israeli occupation, of the Israeli Government's policy of malice, antipathy and enmity and of Israel's failure to comply with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, most recently General Assembly resolution 50/22 C of 25 April 1996 condemning this aggression and considering Israel responsible for compensating Lebanon for all the losses arising therefrom.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 44, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Samir MOUBARAK

Permanent Representative