Mideast situation – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 17 January 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 inform you hereunder of a series of violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty that were committed by Israel on land, at sea and in the air between 13 and 31 December 2000.

13 December 2000

At 1440 hours bursts of machine-gun fire were heard coming from the occupied Ruwaysat al-Alam outpost in an outlying area of Kafr Shuba (in the occupied Shab`a farmlands).

14 December 2000

Israeli forces removed the electrified barbed-wire perimeter defences around the Shu`ayb al-Kasir outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 0315 and 0345 hours an Israeli gunboat in Israeli territorial waters off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched four illumination flares over a fishing boat in Lebanese territorial waters. The fishing boat advanced and came to a halt near the Israeli craft at the maritime boundary before heading out to sea.

On the night of 13/14 December Israeli forces dismantled the metal grid around their Rus outpost (in the occupied Shab`a farmlands).

16 December 2000

At 1325 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Jba` area at very high altitudes, breaking the sound barrier.

At 1320 and 1500 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South, the western and central Bekaa, the North and Mount Lebanon, breaking the sound barrier.

Between 1330 and 1900 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the western Bekaa and the South at very high altitudes.

At 1720 and 1740 hours Israeli forces fired several 81-mm mortar rounds at areas around their outpost at Jabal al-Rus in the Shab`a farmlands.

At 1930 and 2100 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands at very high altitude.

At 2035 and 2330 hours an Israeli gunboat off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched five illumination flares over Israeli territorial waters and fired several bursts.

17 December 2000

At 1305 and 1325 hours Israeli warplanes overflew all parts of Lebanon at very high altitudes while breaking the sound barrier, and an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the western Bekaa. Israeli warplanes also overflew the Jba` area at very high altitudes, breaking the sound barrier.

18 December 2000

At 1215 and 1230 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Tyre and Nabatiyah while breaking the sound barrier.

19 December 2000

At 1940 hours an Israeli gunboat off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched three illumination flares over an area outside Lebanese territorial waters.

Israeli forces were building a road from Abbasiyah to Majidiyah along the Lebanese border.

20 December 2000

At 1030 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

21 December 2000

At 1245 hours Israeli forces fired two tank shells at the Mazra`at Bastara vicinity (in the Shab`a farmlands) from one of their outposts in the same area. They impacted near a flock of goats without causing damage.

At 1135 and 1155 hours Israeli forces opened fire from their outposts at Ruwaysat al-Alam and Summaqah in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

22 December 2000

Between 1745 and 1815 hours two Israeli helicopters flew along the Lebanese border over outlying areas of Markaba and Hula. A helicopter also flew over the vicinity of the Israeli forces’ outpost at Summaqah (Shab`a farmlands) and over the Kafr Shuba vicinity towards the liberated territories.

Huge bulldozers working on trenches and large pits and Israeli trucks loaded with barrels were seen at Mazra`at Zibdin in the occupied Shab`a farmlands. It is believed that this is an attempt to bury toxic waste in these occupied farmlands.

At 0840 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South.

At 1745 and 1815 hours two Israeli helicopters flew along the Lebanese border over outlying areas of Markaba and Hula, over Summaqah and over outlying areas of Kafr Shuba towards the liberated territories.

At 0600 and 0651 hours an Israeli patrol in the occupied Shab`a farmlands directed several bursts of medium- and light-weapons fire at the area around the Ramta outpost.

At 1830 and 2015 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the Marj Uyun area at very high altitude.

Between 2200 and 2210 hours Israeli forces strafed the area around their outposts at Summaqah and Ruwaysat al-Alam (in the occupied Shab`a farmlands) with medium-weapons fire. An Israeli helicopter also overflew the same two outposts.

Between 1450 and 1500 hours Israeli forces strafed the area around their outpost at Summaqah hill.

Between 1500 and 1645 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands and the Marj Uyun area at very high altitude.

At 1630 hours Israeli enemy troops in the occupied Ruwaysat al-Summaqah locality in an outlying area of Kafr Shuba fired several bursts from sophisticated weapons.

At 1700 hours an anti-personnel landmine, one of the remnants of the Israeli occupation, exploded in the Manarah locality in an outlying area of Hula along the Lebanon-Palestine border. A passing donkey was killed but there were no human casualties.

23 December 2000

At 0630 and 0640 hours Israeli forces strafed the area around their outpost at Ramta hill (in the occupied Shab`a farmlands) with medium-weapons fire. An Israeli helicopter also flew over the outpost.

26 December 2000

In the morning Israeli forces at the Misgav Am outpost opposite Udaysah began to erect a very large umbrella-shaped radar installation. They also built a concrete foundation some 40 square metres in area at the Abbadah outpost.

Between 1155 and 1200 hours an Israeli helicopter flew over the Ruwaysat al-Alam outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 1300 hours Israeli forces at one of their outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands fired two 81-mm mortar rounds and directed a number of bursts of medium-machine-gun fire at the area around Mazra`at Bastara and in the vicinity of a flock belonging to Qasim Ali Zuhrah (born in Shab`a in 1960, mother’s name A’ishah and a resident of Mazra`at Bastara).

At 2130 hours Israeli forces launched four illumination flares over the sea off Ra’s al-Naqurah along the Lebanon-Israel boundary from one of their positions in the occupied territories opposite the town of Marjin.

27 December 2000

At 1000 and 1115 hours Israeli warplanes overflew all parts of Lebanon at various altitudes.

Between 1220 and 1310 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South and Hasbayya, launching heat balloons.

Between 1230 and 1430 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands at very high altitude.

At 1400 hours an Israeli gunboat outside Lebanese territorial waters off Ra’s al-Naqurah fired several bursts of medium-weapons fire in all directions.

At 2145 hours Israeli forces launched three illumination flares over the southern Lebanese border opposite Dahirah from their positions in the occupied territories.

28 December 2000

Between 1100 and 1400 hours Israeli warplanes overflew all parts of Lebanon at very high altitudes breaking the sound barrier.

Between 1245 and 1250 hours three Israeli helicopters overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

Between 1305 and 1445 hours an Israeli soldier opened fire on some citizens at the tomb of Shaykh Abbad. An 8-year-old child, Mustafa Ali Yasin, received a bullet in the right arm. Qasim Muhammad Arandas was wounded in the foot; Nawfal Ghazi Ali received a bullet in the left leg; and Muhammad Ala’ al-Din was wounded in the right arm.

At intervals between 1530 and 1700 hours Israeli forces strafed the areas around their outposts at Ruwaysat al-Alam and Summaqah in the occupied Shab`a farmlands with medium-weapons fire. An Israeli reconnaissance aircraft also overflew the same area.

Between 1810 and 1825 hours three Israeli helicopters and a reconnaissance aircraft overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

29 December 2000

At 1245 hours one of the personnel in an Israeli patrol fired a round into the air at the Fatimah Gate.

Between 1845 and 1850 hours Israeli forces launched four illumination flares over the area between their outpost at Ruwaysat al-Alam and that at Ramta in the farmlands opposite Kafr Shuba.

Between 1945 and 2025 hours two Israeli helicopters flew over the Ruwaysat al-Alam and Ramta outposts at very high altitudes.

30 December 2000

At 1430 hours Israeli troops at the Fatimah Gate fired at Hilal Ahmad al-Hajj, 22, hitting him in the head and killing him.

31 December 2000

Between 1130 and 1135 hours Israeli forces strafed the areas around their outposts at Summaqah hill and Ruwaysat al-Alam hill in the occupied Shab`a farmlands with medium-machine-gun fire.

Between 1150 and 1205 hours Israeli forces fired five direct-fire rounds and a number of bursts of medium-weapons fire from their outpost at Ramta in the Shab`a farmlands. Two Israeli helicopters also flew over the outpost.

Between 1900 and 1945 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

This latest series of violations, which caused the death of one citizen at the Fatimah Gate and involved the detonation of landmines left behind by the Israeli occupation that caused serious damage, is in flagrant violation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and of Lebanon’s sovereignty. It poses a threat to stability in the region, and Lebanon regards it as an extension of Israel’s aggression against its people and territory.

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.