Lebanon lodges strong appeal, makes contacts against Israeli aggressions

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has announced that Lebanon has started making contacts at the highest level through diplomatic channels, fearing the escalation of further Israeli attacks against Lebanese citizens.

During his meeting Monday with former speaker of the Lebanese parliament Hussein al-Husseini, the Lebanese president said the recent hours had proved the brutality of Israel in targeting civilians.

President Lahoud stressed the necessity of boosting national unity, liberating the Lebanese occupied territories from the Israeli occupation and restoring Lebanon's sovereignty and independence.

Within this context Lebanon has lodged a new complaint against Israel to the April Understanding Monitoring Committee due to the Israeli air raids carried out on Sunday against the al-Bekaa area, in eastern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss on Monday contacted the ambassadors of the UN Security Council's five permanent member states in Lebanon and asked them to convey the situation to their governments, so as to put an end to the Israeli aggressions against Lebanon.

Al-Hoss asked Lebanon's permanent representative at the UN, Samir Mubarak to address a message to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The message conveys the situation and calls upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards the continued Israeli attacks.

The Lebanese Premier reiterated his condemnation of the Israeli air raid on the Bekaa, which resulted in the wounding of several civilians and frightening the elderly, women and children.