Mideast situation – Letter from Israel

Identical letters dated 16 February 2001 from the Permanent Representative

of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

and to the President of the Security Council

I wish to draw your attention to yet another violation of the Blue Line that has jeopardized security along Israel’s northern border.

This afternoon, at approximately 12.30 p.m. local time, anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanese territory at vehicles of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) that were patrolling on the Israeli side of the Blue Line in the vicinity of Har Dov. One Israeli soldier, Elad Shneor, was killed in the attack and three other soldiers were wounded. The terrorist group Hizbullah has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Israel views this latest act of aggression as a serious violation of Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 1310 (2000) as well as of international law. Today’s attack is merely the latest in a series of recent violations of the Blue Line as determined by the Secretary-General, and endorsed by the Security Council, for the purpose of confirming Israel’s compliance with resolution 425 (1978). These violations have been detailed in a number of letters, most recently in my letters dated 6 February 2001 (A/55/767-S/2001/111), 26 November 2000 (S/2000/1121), 23 October 2000 (S/2000/1011), 19 October 2000 (S/2000/1002) and 7 October 2000 (S/2000/969).

I should also like to recall Security Council resolution 1337 (2001), in which the Council welcomed the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of 22 January 2001 (S/2001/66), reconfirmed Israel’s compliance with resolution 425 (1978) and reiterated its call on the Government of Lebanon to “ensure the return of its effective authority and presence in the south, and in particular to increase the rate of the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces” and to “ensure a calm environment throughout the south” (paras. 5 and 6).

Israel holds the Government of Lebanon fully responsible for the attack as a result of its failure to implement resolutions 425 (1978), 1310 (2000) and 1337 (2001). Israel demands that the Government of Lebanon act immediately to fulfil its obligations pursuant to those resolutions and, in particular, to put an end to the violent attacks by Hizbullah, an organization that is freely operating in the area and that habitually threatens not only soldiers but civilians as well.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 164, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Yehuda Lancry

Permanent Representative