Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 8 May 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 convey to you hereunder a list of the violations and infringements that were committed by Israel against Lebanon in the period from 19 to 30 April 2001. Lebanon regards these incidents as an extension of Israel’s aggression against its people and territory.

19 April 2001

Between 1110 and 1120 hours an Israeli enemy helicopter flew over the occupied Shab`a farmlands releasing heat balloons. It then left in the direction of the occupied territories.

At 1130 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitudes.

Between 1145 and 1250 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the South, the North and Mount Lebanon at very high altitudes.

At 1515 hours Israeli enemy forces fired four direct-fire rounds at the vicinity of Birkat al-Sawwanah in an outlying area of Shab`a town in the liberated territories from one of their outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 1555 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Naqurah area in a southerly direction at very high altitudes. At 1725 hours they left in the direction of the occupied territories.

At 1900 hours a 33-year-old Lebanese, Muhammad Hasan Gharib, was brought to Najm Hospital in Tyre after he had been badly wounded when a toy exploded in his hands as he was working on his land at Tayr Harfa.

20 April 2001

At 0120 hours an Israeli enemy soldier fired two light-weapons rounds into the air at the Fatimah Gate in an endeavour to cause panic.

At 0445 hours an Israeli enemy gunboat in the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched an illumination flare over the surrounding area.

Between 0945 and 1355 hours an Israeli enemy reconnaissance aircraft overflew the Marj Uyun and Hasbayya areas and the occupied Shab`a farmlands at very high altitude.

Between 1100 and 1120 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Ruwaysat al-Alam outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands directed a number of bursts of medium-machine-gun fire at the surrounding area.

Between 1215 and 1345 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the South, the Bekaa, Mount Lebanon and the North at very high altitudes, breaking the sound barrier.

Between 1730 and 1735 hours an Israeli enemy soldier fired several light-weapons rounds into the air at the Fatimah Gate in an endeavour to cause panic.

21 April 2001

Between 0915 and 0945 hours an Israeli gunboat in the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah directed a number of bursts of medium-weapons fire at surrounding areas.

22 April 2001

Between 1100 and 1345 hours a crane and a Poclain-type bulldozer belonging to the Israeli enemy forces were engaged in fortification work at the Radar hill outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

Between 1540 and 1550 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Ruwaysat al-Alam and Summaqah outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands directed a number of bursts of medium-machine-gun fire at the surrounding area.

23 April 2001

Between 0945 and 1020 hours there were two explosions in the Mughr Shab`a area of the occupied Shab`a farmlands. Israeli enemy forces at the Mazra`at Fashkul outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands also directed a number of bursts of medium-weapons fire at the surrounding area.

Between 1005 and 1125 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the South, the North and Mount Lebanon at very high altitudes.

At 1230 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Ruwaysat al-Alam outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands fired three tank shells at Mazra`at Bastarah in the liberated Lebanese territories.

Between 1600 and 1645 hours there were four explosions south of the Israeli enemy forces outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

Between 1720 and 1745 hours two Israeli helicopters flew over the occupied Shab`a farmlands and Israeli enemy forces at the Summaqah hill outpost directed a number of bursts of fire at the surrounding area.

Between 1845 and 2120 hours there were six explosions along the road leading to the Israeli enemy forces outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

At 2230 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Dahr al-Jamal position in the occupied Palestinian territories opposite Ramiyah town launched two illumination flares over the surrounding area.

Between 2255 and 2320 hours two Israeli helicopters flew over the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

24 April 2001

At 0900 hours Israeli enemy warplanes flew over the Lebanon-Palestine boundary in the Ra’s al-Naqurah border area.

At 1000 hours Israeli enemy forces sent up a balloon over Misgav Am hill in occupied Palestine in order to monitor the boundaries.

At 1030 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Qulaylah at moderate altitudes.

Between 1225 and 1245 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the Tyre, Nabatiyah, and Marj Uyun areas at very high altitudes, breaking the sound barrier in the Nabatiyah area.

At 1230 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the Tyre area breaking the sound barrier.

Between 1745 and 1800 hours Israeli enemy forces strafed the area around their outpost at Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands with medium-machine-gun fire.

25 April 2001

Between 0830 and 0845 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the Jazzin area at very high altitude.

Between 0828 and 1500 hours an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft overflew the Bekaa and was met with fire from the anti-aircraft artillery units of the fraternal Syrian Arab forces.

At 1000 hours Israeli MK warplanes flew over the Janta area east of Ba`labakk and the anti-aircraft artillery units of the fraternal Syrian Army fired at them.

At 1100 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the Ba`labakk area at high altitudes and were met with anti-aircraft artillery fire.

Between 1500 and 1545 hours Israeli forces strafed the area around their outposts at Ramta hill and Mazra`at Fashkul in the occupied Shab`a farmlands with medium-weapons fire. An enemy reconnaissance aircraft also flew over the Naqurah area at very high altitude.

26 April 2001

Between 1110 and 1220 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the South and the Batrun area as well as areas off Shikka at very high altitudes.

At 1630 hours Israeli enemy forces stationed in the occupied Shab`a farmlands fired three artillery shells that impacted close to two Lebanese citizens, Faris As`ad Hamdan, 35, and Husayn Khalil Zahrah, 37, as they were tending livestock in an outlying area of Shab`a town to the east of Birkat al-Naqqar. No one was hurt.

At 1635 hours Israeli enemy forces fired two 120-mm mortar rounds from one of their outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands. One of them impacted in an outlying area of Shab`a town in the liberated territories and the other in the vicinity of the enemy outpost at Summaqah in the occupied Shab`a farmlands.

27 April 2001

Between 1020 and 1240 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the Shuf and the South at very high altitudes. They also overflew the Jba` detachment zone at moderate altitude.

At 1100 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the Jabal al-Rayhan area.

At 1115 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the Qulaylah detachment zone.

Between 1605 and 1800 hours Israeli enemy warplanes circled offshore 10 nautical miles west of Shikka over Lebanese territorial waters.

28 April 2001

At 1910 hours a landmine exploded in Mays al-Jabal near the Lebanon-Palestine boundary. It was set off by an unidentified fisherman.

At 1915 hours a landmine was set off by Shadi Musa Shartuni (mother’s name Muna), a young man of about 16 years of age from Mays al-Jabal, in the Kurum al-Marah locality outside Mays al-Jabal near the Lebanon-Palestine boundary. He was killed, and the body was retrieved at 2350 hours.

Between 2215 and 2220 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Mazra`at Fashkul outpost in the occupied Shab`a farmlands directed a number of bursts of medium-machine-gun fire at the surrounding area.

At 0025 hours an Israeli enemy gunboat in the territorial waters of occupied Palestine off Ra’s al-Naqurah launched an illumination flare over the surrounding area.

29 April 2001

Between 0545 and 0600 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Ramta hill and Ruwaysat al-Alam outposts fired four mortar rounds of unknown calibre and directed a number of bursts of medium-machine-gun fire at the surrounding area.

At intervals between 0900 and 1300 hours Israeli enemy warplanes overflew the South, the North and Mount Lebanon at very high altitudes.

Between 1800 and 1825 hours Israeli enemy forces at the Ruwaysat al-Alam hill, Summaqah hill and Mazra`at Fashkul outposts in the occupied Shab`a farmlands fired several bursts of medium-weapons fire at surrounding areas. There were also three unexplained explosions inside the farmlands area.

This new series of Israeli violations, in which a number of Lebanese citizens were injured and one citizen was killed by landmines left behind by Israel in the liberated areas, represents in aggregate a flagrant violation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and of Lebanon’s sovereignty and poses a threat to stability in the region.

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.

(Signed) Sélim Tadmoury

Ambassador

Permanent Representative