General Assembly Sixty-first session Agenda item 13 The situation in the Middle East Security Council Sixty-second year Identical letters dated 12 February 2007 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council With reference to the confrontation along the blue line between the Israeli armed forces and the Lebanese armed forces on 7 February 2007, the Government of Lebanon noted the briefing given by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations to members of the Security Council on 8 February, which highlighted the actual sequence of events on the ground. While awaiting the results of the investigation conducted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Government of Lebanon regretted that the contents of the statement attributed to the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General failed to include all aspects of the incident. The facts, received from the Lebanese competent authorities, were as follows: Israel claimed that it was conducting demining activities by night in an area where the blue line is not easily identified. However, the Lebanese armed forces conveyed a message through UNIFIL of the need to postpone Israel’s activities until the morning, when there would be no confusion as to where the blue line was located. The Lebanese armed forces clearly stated that they would shoot at anyone who violated the blue line. Nevertheless, Israeli armed forces persisted, ignoring the Lebanese warning. Their bulldozer breached the technical fence and continued to advance, by 50 metres wide and 30 metres deep, into Lebanese territory. The incident took place at the same location where the Israeli armed forces had shot at and destroyed four improvised explosive devices on the Lebanese side of the blue line two days earlier, near UNIFIL position 6-52. While reiterating its full commitment to implement Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and the readiness of the Lebanese armed forces to continue their close cooperation with UNIFIL, the Government of Lebanon believes that any Israeli breach or violation of the blue line should be condemned. I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 13, and of the Security Council. (Signed) Caroline Ziade Chargé d’affaires a.i.   sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/61/740 sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2007/82 sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/61/740 sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2007/82 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 07-23568 \* MERGEFORMAT 2 \* MERGEFORMAT 1 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 07-23568 United Nations A/61/740–S/2007/82 General Assembly Security Council Distr.: General 12 February 2007 Original: English jobn \* MERGEFORMAT 07-23568 (E) 120207 Barcode \* MERGEFORMAT *0723568*