The Israeli army sowed landmines in south Lebanon during its summer conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the United Nations said on 25 November. The claims came after British and Bosnian bomb disposal experts each had a foot amputated after a newly laid Israeli-made anti-personnel landmine exploded on Friday, according to a statement by the UN’s Mine Action Coordination Centre in South Lebanon (UNMACCSL). Israel has not yet established whether its forces laid landmines in Lebanon during its recent conflict, officials speaking on condition of anonymity at the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) told IRIN. Read more about Accident reveals newly laid Israeli mines, UN says
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council expressed shock and condemnation today at the assassination of Lebanon’s Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, calling for restraint from all sides and urging national unity. In a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr. Annan decried the murder of Mr. Gemayel, “who believed strongly in an independent, democratic and united Lebanon,” and offered his deepest sympathies to the late minister’s family and to the Lebanese Government. Mr. Gemayel died after being shot in his car while travelling through the capital, Beirut. Read more about Security Council, Annan condemn assassination of Lebanese Government minister
Squally winter weather in the eastern Mediterranean poses a fresh threat to marine ecology from Lebanon to Turkey this year, due to the remnants of the oil slick caused in July when Israeli forces bombed a power plant south of Beirut. Between 10,000 and 15,000 tonnes of crude leaked from the crippled power plant of Jiyeh, 30 km from the Lebanese capital, Jul. 13-15. The spill seriously contaminated the waters along the Lebanese and Syrian coast. Environmental damage to neighbouring Cyprus, Greece and Turkey was somewhat reduced by operations to mop up the floating oil. But the danger persists. Read more about Lebanese Waters Still Stained Black
The 34-day war between Hizbullah and Israel in July/August 2006 caused widespread death and destruction in both Israel and Lebanon, with civilians bearing the brunt of military operations. This report, the third published by Amnesty International on aspects of the conflict, focuses on Israeli attacks in which civilians were killed as well as the impact on civilians of other attacks by Israeli forces. It also examines allegations that Hizbullah used civilians as “human shields”. Previously Amnesty International focused on Israel’s attacks on the infrastructure in Lebanon and on Hizbullah’s rocket bombardment of northern Israel. Read more about New Amnesty Report: Out of all proportion - civilians bear the brunt of the war
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today protested the 14 Israeli air violations it observed, including two by F-15 jets flying at low altitude, and called for their immediate halt. Eleven of the incidents occurred in the area of operations of the French battalion. A UN spokesman reported that the anti-aircraft unit of the French battalion took initial preparatory steps to respond to the Israeli actions, in accordance with UNIFIL rules of engagement and UN Security Council resolution 1701. That text ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hizbollah and expanded the size and scope of the Force. Read more about UN mission protests Israeli air violations
In a bid to promote stability in Lebanon, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today urged the leaders of Iran and Syria to advocate dialogue as a means to resolve differences in the country. “The Secretary-General spoke with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and President Basher Al-Assad of Syria about developments in Lebanon and the need for countries in the region in particular and the international community as a whole to promote the stability and the unity of Lebanon,” a UN spokesman said. “He urged them to counsel the parties concerned to exercise patience and resolve their differences through dialogue,” the spokesman added. Read more about Annan speaks with leaders of Syria and Iran in bid to promote stability in Lebanon
Any other year, the olive harvest season would now be in full swing in Zawtar Sharqiyye, a village in southern Lebanon’s Nabatiyye region, where the majority of people make a living from farming olives and tobacco. “This year, because of the cluster bombs, the olive harvest is lost,” said Riad Ali Ismail, head of the local municipality. Three months after the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah ended, up to one million unexploded cluster bombs still lie scattered throughout southern Lebanon, according to United Nations agencies. The seemingly innocuous small bombs pose a deadly hazard to the population. Read more about Cluster bombs threaten farmers' lives, hamper olive harvest
BEIRUT - Residents of overcrowded Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have told IRIN that they were doubtful that a government and United Nations joint Camps Improvement Initiative to improve their living conditions will bring them any benefits. “None of this will happen. No one here helps the Palestinians,” said Ahmed Hassan, an unemployed Palestinian refugee who lives in Chatila camp on the outskirts of Beirut. Hassan is one of more than 400,000 Palestinian refugees officially registered with the UN agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Lebanon. Just over half of the Palestinian refugees live in 12 ‘camps’ - specially set up residential areas that are controlled by Palestinian authorities. Read more about Palestinians doubtful of camp improvement initiatives
The fieldwork of the post conflict environmental assessment of Lebanon has been completed by a team from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which carried out its work in Lebanon from 30 September to 21 October 2006. The experts covered the following disciplines; Asbestos; Contaminated land; Coastal and marine issues; Solid and hazardous waste management; Surface and ground water; Weapons and munitions. From these respective disciplines a wide range of samples were transported to three independent and recognized laboratories in Europe for tests. Read more about No evidence of radioactive residue in Lebanon: post-conflict assessment
“As a matter of urgency, I call on all States to implement an immediate freeze on the use of cluster munitions. This freeze is essential until the international community puts in place effective legal instruments to address urgent humanitarian concerns about their use,” said Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator ahead of the convening of the Third Review Conference on the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), which opened today in Geneva. “I welcome the entry into force of Protocol V to the Convention. I call upon all States to ratify and implement it in order to help us in the humanitarian community address the challenges posed by cluster munitions in post-conflict settings,” added Mr. Egeland. Read more about UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: End use of cluster munitions
