Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 18 December 1996 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government and further to our earlier letters concerning Israel's attacks on southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa and the arbitrary practices against the civilian inhabitants in which it engages on a daily basis, I have the honour to notify you of the series of such incidents that took place in November 1996.

1 November 1996

At 0600 hours outlying areas of Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar, Arabsalim, Kafr Rumman and Habbush, the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills and areas along the Nab` al-Tasah came under Israeli artillery fire.  The bombardment lasted for one hour.

At 0900 hours outlying areas of Qilya, Zillaya, Suhmur and Yuhmur came under Israeli artillery fire.  The bombardment lasted for one hour.

At 1100 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Iqlim al-Tuffah area at low altitude and carried out a number of mock attacks.

3 November 1996

At 1100 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps.

At 1200 hours outlying areas of Ayn Bu Siwar, Arabsalim and Luwayzah and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.  A woman, Layla Hashim, was injured, and four dwellings were damaged.

At 1500 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah and Iqlim al-Tuffah areas at medium altitude.

At 1540 hours outlying areas of Jba` came under Israeli artillery fire.

4 November 1996

At 2110 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon at high altitude.

5 November 1996

At 0715 hours outlying areas of Majdal Silm, Qabrikha and Shaqra came under Israeli artillery fire.

6 November 1996

At 1000 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Sidon area and the nearby camps.

9 November 1996

At 1215 hours the town of Sidqin and the Asi locality came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1430 hours outlying areas of Majdal Zun, Jibal al-Butm and Zibqin came under Israeli artillery fire.  This was accompanied by helicopter overflights.

At 1500 hours outlying areas of Kafra and Yatar came under Israeli artillery fire.  A man, Rashid Kurani, received shrapnel wounds that required hospital treatment.

At 1640 hours Israeli warplanes attacked outlying areas of Jba` and Ayn Bu Siwar.

At 1800 hours Israeli warplanes carried out mock attacks on outlying areas of Kafra and Yatar.

At 2030 hours outlying areas of Jba` came under Israeli artillery fire.  A number of dwellings were damaged.

At 1715 hours outlying areas of Jarju`, Ayn Bu Siwar and Arabsalim and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli artillery fire.

12 November 1996

At 1130 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitude, carrying out mock attacks and breaking the sound barrier.

At 1320 hours outlying areas of Jibal al-Butm in the Tyre district came under artillery fire from Israeli forces in the border strip.

13 November 1996

At 1630 hours outlying areas of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah came under Israeli artillery fire.

19 November 1996

At 0900 hours Israeli aircraft attacked outlying areas of Mlita and Jabal Safi.

At 0915 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area at medium altitude.

At 1840 hours Israeli warplanes and helicopters overflew the Iqlim al-Tuffah area at low altitude.  The helicopters strafed the wadis and areas along the Nab` al-Tasah.  Outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju` and Ayn Bu Siwar and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills also came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 2100 hours outlying areas of Jba` came under Israeli artillery fire.

21 November 1996

At 1100 hours an Israeli aircraft launched a heat balloon in the Baydar locality of Aytit.  A man, Ali Muhsin, received burns.

24 November 1996

At 0945 hours outlying areas of Dallafah and Qilya and the hills surrounding Ayn al-Tinah in the Western Bekaa district came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1400 hours outlying areas of Tibnin, Haddatha, Bra`shit and Ayta al-Jabal in the Bint Jubayl district came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1730 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps at low altitude.

At 1745 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area at low altitude.

25 November 1996

At 0900 hours Israeli aircraft overflew Sidon at high altitude.

At 1600 hours outlying areas of Frun and Ghanduriyah came under Israeli artillery fire.  No casualties were reported.

At 1630 hours Israeli aircraft overflew the Nabatiyah area at medium altitude.

At 1855 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Sidon area at low altitude.

26 November 1996

At 0600 hours Saydun and Jazzin came under Israeli artillery fire.

At 1810 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area at low altitude.

At 1815 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Sidon area and the nearby camps as well as the Nabatiyah area, carrying out mock attacks.

At 1850 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Rumaylah, Jiyah and Sa`diyat areas in the Shuf district at low altitude.

At 1900 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Sidon area and the nearby camps at low altitude.

27 November 1996

At 1800 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Nabatiyah area at low altitude.

At 1815 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon and the nearby camps at low altitude.

At 2215 hours Israeli warplanes overflew the Tyre area at low altitude.

28 November 1996

At 1530 hours Israeli warplanes overflew Sidon at high altitude.

30 November 1996

Outlying areas of Arabsalim, Jarju` and Ayn Bu Siwar, areas along the Nab` al-Tasah and the Mlita and Jabal Safi hills came under Israeli bombardment.

The Lebanese Government strongly condemns the continued Israeli occupation and these fresh attacks and arbitrary practices inflicted on the Lebanese population, which have left a number of casualties and have caused further serious damage to property.

Like previous attacks, this new series is in flagrant violation of the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon and constitutes a breach of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, of international law and of basic human rights.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 33, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Samir MOUBARAK

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

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