Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 16 February 1989 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, I have the honour to call your attention to the following:

On Wednesday, 15 February 1989, at 12 noon Lebanese time, an Israeli Army force together with militiamen under its command entered the town of Chabaa with the objective of forcibly compelling its inhabitants to establish a "civil administration".

The town of Chabaa is situated in the occupied zone inside Lebanese territory and in the area of operations of the Norwegian contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).  The Norwegian unit has a post at the entrance to the town.  This fact has not, however, prevented its encirclement by Israeli forces and militiamen under their command for close to three months, and neither has it prevented practices directed against the civilian inhabitants there.

The entry of the Israeli force resulted from the refusal of the notables and inhabitants of the town to collaborate with Israeli intelligence, to set up a "civil administration" and a "border guard force" and to enlist in the so-called South Lebanon Army.  Faced with that refusal, Israeli forces have arrested dozens of persons and have expelled more than 50 Lebanese citizens from the town of Chabaa alone.

The Lebanese Government strongly condemns Israel and its resort to arbitrary practices and measures incompatible with the principles of the International Bill of Human Rights and the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.  While stressing the fact that it reserves its right to call for a meeting of the Security Council to consider these practices and measures, it once again appeals to the Security Council and the Secretary-General to intensify their efforts to prevent Israel from persisting in its inhuman policy against civilian inhabitants in the occupied part of Lebanese territory, whether in terms of imposing on them coercive measures, arresting them, expelling them or refusing to allow those expelled to return to their land and their families.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under the item entitled "The situation in the Middle East", and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Rachid FAKHOURY

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

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