The Lebanese representative to the United Nations filed a complaint against Israel to the UN Security Council Monday, saying that Israel violated territorial sovereignty by shooting at demonstrators at the Israel-Lebanon border Sunday, killing ten and injuring 112 others.According to the official complaint letter filed by Lebanon’s representative, Dr. Nawaf Salam, “The attack represents a hostile act and once more highlights Israel’s violation of Lebanese sovereignty and its disregard of UN resolutions.”
The complaint stated that the protesters were gathering lawfully in southern Lebanon, and the security forces of the Lebanese government had been deployed to ensure that no border violations would occur. But, according to the Lebanese authorities, the Israeli forces stationed at the border pre-emptively attacked the demonstrators, using both non-lethal and lethal weapons, resulting in the deaths of ten demonstrators.
In addition, the complaint said that the pre-emptive attack shows that Israel “ did
not hesitateto use excessive force against civilians in blatant contravention of international law and customs, and in particular International Humanitarian Law. Lebanon demands that the Security Council bear its
responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security, and pressure Israel to renounce its belligerent and provocative policy toward Lebanon and hold its responsible for the slaying of, and assault on the civilians.”
The protest was made up mostly of Palestinian refugees who have lived in southern Lebanon since being expelled from their homes in what is now Israel when the state of Israel was created in 1948. They were commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba (‘Catastrophe’ in Arabic), when Israel was created on May 15th 1948.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, who leads the resistance movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, told supporters on Monday, “We must bow before the courage, the bravery, of those who protested yesterday at Lebanon and Syria’s borders with occupied Palestine, who faced the tyranny of the enemy with bare chests and their heads held high. Your message, loud and clear, to the enemy is that you will liberate your lands, that the fate of this entity [Israel] is demise, and that no initiatives, treaties or borders will protect it.”
Israeli officials said Monday that they plan to file a complaint against Lebanon and Syria for allowing the protests by Palestinian refugees and their supporters to take place on Sunday at the Lebanese and Syrian borders with Israel.
