Understanding committee condemns Israel, holds it responsible for escalation
Lebanon-Israel, Politics, 2/4/2000

The April Understanding Monitoring Committee on Thursday held Israel responsible for violating items of the understanding through targeting Lebanese civilians in the occupied parts of south Lebanon.

The committee also held Israel and its allied militia responsible for violating the terms of the understanding in 16 military operations against south Lebanon in bombarding the residential areas in south Lebanon in the period between January 22 through February 1.

In a statement released on Thursday following its meeting started on Wednesday at the Lebanese border town of al-Naqoura at UNIFIL headquarters, the committee indicated that the Israeli attacks resulted in wounding 11 civilians, destroying two buildings, damaging 225 houses and heavy material losses in the water, electricity and telephone networks.

The committee said that on the day when the three Israeli soldiers were killed and another 4 wounded at al-Azeyeh position, more than 100 houses were hit by the Israeli bombardment in the areas situated to the north of the occupied part of south Lebanon.

The statement of the understanding committee also underlined the importance of abiding by the understanding's provisions which bans attacks against areas populated with civilians.

The committee did not take into account two claims by Israel connected to killing of the second man in the pro-Israeli South Lebanon Army militia. Aqel Hashem. and the attack against al-Azeyeh position in which three Israeli soldiers killed and other four wounded.

The committee expressed its concern that military operation in south Lebanon will have adverse impact on the civilians and will increase tension. The committee called on the two sides to abide themselves to the understanding's provisions.

Previous Stories:
  Monitoring committee meets on Israeli attacks   (2/3/2000)
  April Understanding committee meets on Lebanese, Israeli complaints   (1/19/2000)
  Report: Lebanon and negotiations on the Syrian track   (1/5/2000)

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