Mideast situation – UNTSO – Report on the status of the cease-fire

Further report on the status of the cease-fire

in the Middle East

The Acting Chief of Staff of UNTSO has submitted the following report on developments in the Israel -Lebanon sector during November 1975:

1. Activity in the sector decreased and was primarily localized in the western portion during November.

2. Israel forces personnel continued to occupy daily, during daylight hours, five positions on the Lebanese side of the armistice demarcation line (ADL) near border pillars 11 (AMR 1799-2788), 1/ l4 (AMR 1838-2734) (except on 5, 8, 22, 23, 25 and 29 November), 18 (AMR 1880-2740), 19 (AMR 1907-2749) (except on 22 November) and 33 (AMR 2004-2904) (except on 23 and 25 November).

3. There were 48 cases of firing across the ADL and two cases of firing within Lebanese territorial waters.  There were also 10 crossing violations.  These incidents were reported as follows:

(a) OP Lab (AMR 1643-2772), south of the village of Labouna, reported mortar fire on 2 November and automatic weapons fire on 9 and 24 November, all by Israel forces.

(b) OP Hin (AMR 1770-2790), east of the village of Marouahine, reported automatic-weapons fire on 3-10, 16, 17, 20, 23, 27 and 30 November, artillery fire on 4, 7 and 20 November, mortar fire on 4, 5, 7, 10, 20 and 30 November and recoilless-rifle fire on 20 November, all by Israel forces.

(c) OP Ras (AMR 1920-2785), south-east of the village of Maroun Er Ras reported artillery fire on 17 November and automatic-weapons fire on 17 and 23 November, all by Israel forces.

(d) OP Mar (AMR 1998-2921), south-east of the village of Markaba, reported artillery fire on 1, 2 and 16 November and mortar fire on 22 and 23 November, all by Israel forces.

(e) OP Khiam (AMR 2071-3025), south of the village of El Khiam, reported artillery fire on 3 November and flares on 10 November, both by Israel forces.

(f) Naqoura out station (AMR 1629-2805), on the coast near the village of Naqpura, reported naval gunfire during Israel force naval vessel penetrations of Lebanese territorial waters on 4 and 29 November (maximum penetration 7500 metres on 4 November and 7500 metres on 29 November).  It also reported that Israel forces naval vessels penetrated Lebanese territorial waters on 22 and 29 November (maximum penetration 4000 metres in each instance).

(g) An UNTSO mobile patrol reported crossing violations by Israel forces on 7, 8, 9 and l6 November in the area of AMR 2117-2987 (maximum penetration 50 metres in each instance), on 10 November in the vicinity of Kfar Kela (AMR 2020-2080) (maximum penetration 200 metres) and again on 10 November in the vicinity of Chebaa (AMR 2200-3055) (maximum penetration 900 metres). The patrol also reported that on 28 November machine-gun fire and one hand grenade from unidentified forces impacted* within one metre of the patrol vehicle in the area of AMR 2017-2981. The vehicle  was slightly damaged, but there were no injuries to United Nations military observers.

4.  There were 37 overflights reported during the period.  Overflights by Israel forces jet aircraft were reported on 1, 3, 4, 6, 11, l6 and 29 November (one each day), on 5, 7, 9, 20, 22 and 30 November (two each day), on 18, 21 and 28 November (three each day) and on 19 and 23 November (four each day). One  overflight by an unidentified light aircraft was reported on 6 November. United Nations military observers were unable to identify the aircraft owing to high altitude.

5.  The Lebanese authorities submitted 53 complaints during the period under review as follows:

(a) Twenty-three complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces fire had fallen on Lebanese territory on 1 November (three complaints), on 2, 3, 5-7, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24 and 26-30 November (one complaint each day) and on 20 November (two complaints).  Seven of these complaints were confirmed by United Nations observation, except for damage.

(b) Twenty-two complaints concerned Israel forces jet aircraft overflights on 31 October, 1, 3-7, 9, 11, 12, 16, 19, 21-23 and 28-30 November (one complaint each day) and on 18 and 20 November (two complaints each day). Twenty of the complaints were confirmed.

(c) One complaint concerned an Israel forces light aircraft overflight. The complaint was not confirmed.

(d) Five complaints were submitted alleging that Israel forces penetrated Lebanese territory. Three of the complaints alleged penetrations in the vicinity of Aadeisse (AMR 2010-2955) on 16, 19 and 26 November; it was also alleged that during the penetration on 26 November Israel forces fired automatic weapons at an automobile and abducted one Lebanese citizen. Two of the complaints alleged penetrations in the vicinity of Kfar Kela on 10 and 27 November; it was also alleged that during the penetration on 10 November two Lebanese citizens were abducted and that during the penetration on 27 November Israel forces dynamited one house and fired automatic weapons, causing the death of one Lebanese, wounding another and causing other material damage. None of the complaints were confirmed.

(e) In addition, two complaints were submitted with requests that inquiries into them be conducted by United Nations military observers (see para. 6 below).

6.  The complaints and the relevant inquiries referred to in paragraph 5 (e) are outlined below:

(a) One of the complaints alleged that on 8 November between l4l5 and 1435 hours GMT, automatic-weapons fire from Israel territory fell in the vicinity of Ramiyez (AMR 1795-2795), wounding one Lebanese citizen and damaging one automobile. The inquiry took place on 9 November. The complaint was confirmed in so far as damage to an automobile was concerned.

(b) The other complaint alleged that on the night of 23/24 November artillery and automatic-weapons fire from Israel territory fell in the vicinity of Aalma Ech Chaab (AMR 1675-2786), causing damage to one house and one automobile. The inquiry took place on 25 November. The complaint was confirmed in so far as damage to one house and one automobile were concerned.

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1/ AMR – approximate map reference.