General Assembly
Sixtieth session
Agenda item 14
The situation in the Middle East
Security Council
Sixty-first year



		Identical letters dated 5 September 2006 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


	Israel has disregarded Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), which called for a cessation of hostilities to begin on 14 August 2006, and has continued its attacks on Lebanon and violation of its sovereignty by imposing an air and sea blockade which has already been severely criticized by the Secretary-General in his statements.
	The Lebanese Government, which is implementing all the terms of the resolution in exemplary fashion and practising self-restraint in the face of daily Israeli attacks out of its desire to preserve security, peace and stability in Lebanon and the region, regards the continued violation of the Security Council resolution — which calls in paragraph 6, “under the authority of the Government of Lebanon [for the] reopening [of] airports and harbours,” — as an obstacle to international and local efforts to assist victims and supply what is needed for the country’s recovery and reconstruction. Moreover, the Lebanese Government has deployed approximately 8,500 Lebanese troops on the eastern and northern borders to enhance security control in compliance with its obligations under the resolution. By contrast, the Government of Israel has not contented itself with merely violating the resolution, but, conducting itself in a manner unprecedented in the history of the United Nations and in blatant violation of the concept of international law, has set itself up as the arbiter of its interpretation and implementation.
	Assiduous efforts on the part of the Secretary-General with the parties involved to relieve the injustice being suffered by the Lebanese people as a result of the blockade would be greatly appreciated and are, indeed, a matter of urgency; similarly, the defiance of the wishes of the Security Council and the violation of international law resulting from Israel’s intransigence make it a matter of priority concern for the Council to follow up this issue.
	I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 14, and of the Security Council.


(Signed) Caroline Ziade
Chargé d’affaires a.i.









sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/60/1000
sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2006/712
 

 sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/60/1000
sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2006/712


FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-48917  \* MERGEFORMAT 2


 \* MERGEFORMAT 1 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-48917


 United Nations
A/60/1000–S/2006/712
 
 General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
6 September 2006
English
Original: Arabic



jobn \* MERGEFORMAT 06-48917 (E)    070906    070906
Barcode \* MERGEFORMAT *0648917*