Israel reoccupies Arnoun, al-Hoss call for expelling Israel by all possible means
Lebanon-Israel, Politics, 4/17/1999

The Israeli occupation forces today, for the second running day, continued annexation of the town of Arnoun to the occupied part of south Lebanon and imposing a siege on it by erecting barbed wires and earth mounds.

Employees at the maintenance department in Nabe al-Tasseh entered the town escorted by the Red Crescent in order to inspect and assess the damage inflicted on the water network in the town as a result of the digging carried out by Israeli bulldozers during the annexation of Arnoun on Thursday.

News reports from south Lebanon said noises from Israeli bulldozers were heard on Friday night while expanding the road used by the Israeli bulldozers. The road extends from the gate erected by the occupation forces in the Eastern suburb of Arnoun to al-Shaqeif castle.

The news reports said the Israeli bulldozers reinforced the new position in Arnoun by earth mounds.

The citizens of the town said that the pro-Israeli South Lebanon Army militia demolished two rooms in the house of citizen Nasser Alaweyah.

Lebanon on Friday asked UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to pressure Israel to break the siege. Lebanon's Permanent representative to the UN, Samir Mubarak, submitted a memorandum to the UN chief in which he explained developments relating to Israel's occupation of the town. The memorandum called for the implementation of the UN resolution 425, which provides for Israel's unconditional withdrawal from south Lebanon.

The April Understanding Monitoring Committee will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss a complaint lodged by Lebanon on Friday. Lebanese official sources said that Lebanon asked for the meeting of the committee to discuss its complaint which asks for Israel's withdrawal from Arnoun.

The sources described the actions taken in Arnoun as grave and terrorist, adding that contacts were made with the representatives of the US and France in the committee in order to take a decision condemning the new Israeli measures against the town.

Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss described the new Israeli operation against Arnoun as a terrorist act targeting innocent citizens in the town and its surroundings. Al-Hoss added, "We refuse this situation and seek to expel Israel out of this town by all possible means."

In a statement he made on Friday al-Hoss added that the Lebanese government made contacts with countries concerned, especially members of the April understanding committee, the foremost being the US and France.

For his part, chairman of the Higher Shiite Council in Lebanon, Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shamseddine, stressed on Friday that Lebanon's reoccupation of Arnoun is a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, stressing that the occupation forces will be vulnerable to attacks by the Lebanese resistance.

Chairman of the political council of the Hizbullah Party, Muhammad Raad, said the Israeli occupation of Arnoun is a flagrant aggression and a violation of the April Understanding. In statements he made on Friday, Raad asserted that the Lebanese resistance will repel this Israeli aggression according to its own program and timing and in the place it finds proper and to place more pressure on Israel.

For its part France expressed concern over the new Israeli occupation of Arnoun. The spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry, Anne Gazeau-Secret, expressed her country's regret following the Israeli operation which took place at a time when contacts are being made between sides concerned about Arnoun. She called on all sides to take all measures that will be conducive to easeing the tension.

Previous Stories:
  Monitors to meet on Arnoun   (4/17/1999)
  Arnoun once again in the hands of Israel   (4/16/1999)
  Israel continues aggression against south Lebanon   (4/15/1999)

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