Mideast situation/Lebanon – Blue Line violations – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 10 December  2002 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of Israel

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I am writing to draw your attention to the latest attack against Israel in violation of the Blue Line.

On Sunday morning, 8 December, at approximate 7.45 a.m. (local time), a large roadside bomb was detonated along the Blue Line, not far from Moshav Zarit in the Western Galilee. The explosion occurred as an Israel Defense Forces patrol vehicle passed by, indicating that the bomb was likely detonated by remote control. Two soldiers were seriously injured in the attack and were evacuated to a nearby hospital. A previously unknown group calling itself the Ramzi Nahra Shahid Group claimed responsibility for the attack, although evidence suggests the involvement of the terrorist organization Hizbullah.

Sunday’s bombing along the Blue Line is far from an isolated incident. Since Israel’s withdrawal from South Lebanon in May 2000, in full and confirmed compliance with Security Council resolution 425 (1978), countless cross-border attacks have been perpetrated by terrorist groups operating freely in South Lebanon. To date, the Lebanese authorities have taken no steps to fulfil their obligations in accordance with the remaining provisions of resolution 425 (1978) — namely the establishment of their effective authority in the area and the restoration of international peace and security. The Government of Lebanon is also in violation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and established principles of international law, which clearly call upon all States to refrain from providing any support, whether active or passive, to all persons or entities involved in terrorist acts, and to ensure that their territory is not used as a base for cross-border attacks. Lebanon has also failed to comply with other provisions of that resolution, most significantly by refusing to freeze the assets of Hizbullah or close down the offices of the rejectionist Palestinian organizations that operate in Beirut.

Consequently, Israel holds the Government of Lebanon responsible for this act of terrorism and calls upon Lebanon to act immediately to respect its obligations under international law and Security Council resolutions. The Government of Syria, which occupies part of Lebanon with tens of thousands of troops and is the main power broker in the country, also bears responsibility for this attack.

I submit this letter in follow-up to previous letters detailing cross-border violations of the Blue Line dated 8 July 2002 (A/56/1001-S/2002/743), 10 April 2002, 3 April 2002 (A/56/899-S/2002/348), 2 April 2002 (A/56/898-S/2002/345), 21 March 2002 (A/56/884-S/2002/301), 24 January 2002 (A/56/793-S/2002/115), 17 January 2002 (A/56/778-S/2002/79), 24 October 2001 (A/56/507-S/2001/1012), 5 October 2001 (A/56/443-S/2001/942), 6 July 2001 (A/56/161-S/2001/673), 16 April 2001 (S/2001/367), 16 February 2001 (A/55/792-S/2001/142), 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 be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 160, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Aaron Jacob
Chargé d’affaires, a.i.

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