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U.N. hears Lebanese complaints about Israeli attacks

April 16, 1996
Web posted at: 12:20 a.m. EDT (0420 GMT)

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Lebanon's envoy to the United Nations blamed Israel's upcoming elections for the fierce attacks on his country -- a charge that Israel's envoy said was "bogus and deceitful."

U.N. Council Meeting

The attacks, Lebanese Ambassador Samir Moubarak said on Monday, were "triggered on purpose by the Israelis to serve the electoral ambitions of the Israeli government."

Israel's elections take place May 29. The governing Labor Party and the Likud Party -- which takes a much tougher stance on the Mideast peace process -- are in a closely fought contest.

"This situation cannot be tolerated," Moubarak said at the opening of a meeting he requested of the U.N. Security Council. "I am here today to ask you ... to take swift action to stop this Israeli madness."

Israeli envoy Gad Yaacobi responded to Moubarak's claims.

tank firing

"Israel's primary obligation is to protect the security of all its citizens," he said. "We will not allow our civilian population centers to be held hostage by Hezbollah."

Yaacobi blasted some of the speakers at Monday's meeting, saying some of them spoke "as if there were no murderous Hezbollah provocations against Israel and Israeli citizens." Their arguments, he said, were "bogus and deceitful."

Yaacobi said that Israel was forced to take strong action against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon because the Lebanese government did not control the guerrilla activities.

The Lebanon-Israel debate followed another Security Council debate on Israel's closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Council made no decision at the conclusion of that debate, and is not expected to make a decision at the end of the Lebanon debate.

Early Tuesday, Israeli helicopters fired rockets at a Palestinian camp in southern Lebanon, wounding at least three people, security sources said. The sources said the helicopters fired rockets into a building used by the September 13 brigades, a radical Palestinian group active in the camp.

Hamas said to join Hezbollah attacks

Monday, the fifth day of Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, drove more civilians from their homes and raised the death toll to at least 35. Over 130 people have been injured. All but one of the dead -- an Israeli soldier -- have been Lebanese civilians.

Tyre being bombed

Seven more Lebanese were killed Monday, and 20 wounded. Eight Israelis were wounded in Hezbollah attacks.

South of Tyre, Lebanon, a U.N. peacekeeping force, on a mission of mercy to rescue Lebanese civilians, skirted debris from one Israeli attack while trying to get out of the area before the next began.

U.N. tank

The majority of the Israeli attacks came on suspected Hezbollah hideouts in areas largely abandoned by the residents. Some 400,000 civilians -- nearly 10 percent of Lebanon's population -- have been driven from their homes by the attacks.

Hamas, the Palestinian group that has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Israel, said that it has joined the rocketing of northern Israel. On Sunday, Hezbollah announced a squad of suicide bombers was training to attack targets in the region.

In Israel, Prime Minister Shimon Peres said he was willing to discuss peace, but refused to initiate discussions.

"We didn't turn, and will not turn, to anyone," Peres said. "On the other hand, if requests are being made to us, we will respond to such requests and consider them."

But Lebanon's Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, warned that if Israel's attacks continue, "we can say goodbye to the peace process" in the Middle East.

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