Letter dated 13 May 2002 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the
Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed
to the Secretary-General
On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a table showing violations of Lebanese airspace and territorial waters committed by Israeli warplanes between 0700 hours on 12 May and 0325 hours on 13 May 2002.
As shown in the table, Israeli incursions deep inside Lebanese airspace extended to Beirut, many Lebanese towns and villages and Lebanese territorial waters. A violation by three Israeli gunboats just off the Lebanese coast was also reported.
These ongoing and persistent Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty and airspace confirm that Israel is still pursuing a provocative and bellicose policy towards Lebanon and thus threatening the safety and security of its citizens and spread alarm among the population. They are also in flagrant violation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and of Lebanon's sovereignty, and they may pose a threat to security and stability in the region.
Lebanon therefore requests you to endeavour to take the necessary measures to halt these provocative and unlawful Israeli violations and to ensure that they do not recur, given that they betray Israel's hostile intentions towards Lebanon.
I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 42 and 166, and of the Security Council.
(Signed) Houssam Asaad Diab
Chargé d'affaires a.i.
Annex to the letter dated 13 May 2002 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i.
of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations
addressed to the Secretary-General
Violations of 12 May 2002
|
0700 |
Two helicopters overflew the Shab'a farmlands. |
|
1020 |
Two warplanes entered Lebanese airspace from the sea 5 nautical miles off Beirut and circled between Beirut, Sidon, Rashayya and Dahr al-Baydar. |
|
1102 |
Two warplanes overflew the Shab'a area heading north |
|
1142 |
Two warplanes heading south entered Lebanese airspace over the sea 11 nautical miles off Beirut |
|
1230 |
Warplanes overflew the South as far as Mount Lebanon and the Western Bekaa, dropping two unidentified objects into the sea between Khaldah and Na'imah. |
|
1415 |
Twelve warplanes entered Lebanese airspace; four from Kafr Killa heading north; four from the sea off Sidon heading north; two from the sea five nautical miles off Jubayl heading east; and two from the sea off Beirut heading east. They circled over the Batrun, Cedars and Shikka area and over the sea. |
|
1742 |
A reconnaissance aircraft heading north entered Lebanese airspace over the sea 11 nautical miles west of Tyre. It circled between Beirut and Sidon two nautical miles offshore. |
|
1930 |
A reconnaissance aircraft overflew the Jazzin area. |
|
1948 |
A reconnaissance aircraft heading north entered Lebanese airspace west of Sidon 10 nautical miles offshore. It circled between Beirut and Sidon two nautical miles offshore. |
|
2110 |
Three helicopters entered Lebanese airspace 10 nautical miles off Rumaylah, Sidon and the Sahranil. |
|
2130 |
Three Israeli gunboats were seen off Abu al-Aswad. |
|
2130 |
Two helicopters entered Lebanese airspace over the sea west of Beirut. |
|
2135 |
Eight warplanes heading east entered Lebanese airspace over the sea off Tyre. |
Violations of 13 May 2002
|
0325 |
Nine Israeli aircraft, six warplanes and three slow-moving targets, entered Lebanese airspace. The warplanes, heading north, entered west of Tyre five nautical miles offshore, and the slow-moving targets, heading towards the shore, entered west of Na'imah. |
______
Document Type: Letter
Document Sources: General Assembly, Security Council
Country: Israel, Lebanon
Subject: Agenda Item, Armed conflict, Incidents
Publication Date: 14/05/2002