Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 11 December 1986 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 relating to the continuous Israeli attacks on Lebanon, particularly the violation by the Israeli Air Force of Lebanese airspace and its bombing of towns, villages and camps, I have the honour to inform you of a further act of airborne aggression carried out by six Israeli military aircraft today at 1.30 p.m. (Lebanese time) against the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in the northern suburbs of the city of Tripoli, which is located more than 200 km from the southern international border with Israel. The act of aggression left five people dead and more than 12 wounded.

This act of airborne aggression, which is the second against northern Lebanon and the nineteenth against Lebanese territory in the course of one year, confirms that Israel is determined to persist in its policy of aggression for the sake of aggression in the hope of aggravating and inflaming the situation in Lebanon and inflicting the largest possible number of human and material losses. The air attacks alone have killed more than 35 people and injured 130, apart from causing extensive material damage to property.

It also confirms that Israel is determined to defy the Charter of the United Nations, the principles of international law and United Nations resolutions, which have frequently called upon Israel to cease its attacks immediately, to withdraw all its forces unconditionally from Lebanese territory and to respect the sovereignty of Lebanon and the integrity of its airspace, waters and territory.

The Lebanese Government strongly condemns this new act of aggression and draws attention to the responsibility of the international community, in the shape of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, and particularly the Security Council, to deter Israel and put an end to its criminal acts of aggression.

The Lebanese Government reserves the right to call for a meeting of the Security Council in due course.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 37, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Rachid FAKHOURY

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

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