[WCUSP] Summaries of statements made at this mornings UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East

[Kate Zaidan]

Security Council
SC/8776
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

NOTE: FOLLOWING ARE SUMMARIES OF STATEMENTS MADE AT THIS MORNING’S 
SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE MIDDLE EAST. A COMPLETE SUMMARY WILL BE 
MADE AVAILABLE AS PRESS RELEASE SC/8776.

Background

The Security Council met this morning to consider the situation in the 
Middle East, as requested by Lebanon in a letter dated 13 July (document 
8/2006/517) from the Permanent Mission of that country to the Council’s 
President. In that letter, the Mission’s Charge d’Affaires, a.i. 
Caroline Ziade asked the Council to consider “the grave situation 
resulting from the latest Israeli acts of aggression in Lebanon”.

Another 13 July letter (document S/2006/518) from the Mission’s Charge 
d’Affaires informs the Council that the Lebanese Council of Ministers 
had issued a statement on 12 July, saying the Lebanese Government “was 
not aware of the events that occurred and are occurring” on the Lebanese 
border, and “is not responsible for the events and does not endorse them”.

A further letter from the Charge d’Affaires, also dated 13 July 
(document S/2006/522), describes the damage done by Israeli air and 
artillery strikes, and states that 53 civilians have, thus far, been killed.

A 12 July letter from the Permanent Representative of Israel 
(S/2006/515), describes the Hizbollah attack across Israel’s border with 
Lebanon, which included a barrage of heavy artillery and rockets, and 
the kidnapping of two Israelis soldiers, as “a clear declaration of war”.

The letter goes on to say: “Responsibility for this belligerent act of 
war lies with the Government of Lebanon, from whose territory these acts 
have been launched into Israel. Responsibility also lies with the 
Government with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab 
Republic, which support and embrace those who carried out this attack.”

Briefings

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, JEAN-MARIE 
GUÉHENNO, said the most serious crisis between Israel and Lebanon since 
the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from south Lebanon in 2000 had 
broken out on 12 July, when, around 9 a.m. local time, Hizbollah had 
launched several rockets from Lebanon across the Blue Line towards 
positions of the Israel Defense Forces near Zarit, had crossed the Blue 
Line and captured two Israeli soldiers, killed three others and wounded 
two more. The captured soldiers had been taken into Lebanon.

He said that, subsequently, a heavy exchange of fire had ensued across 
the Blue Line. Israel had retaliated by ground, air and sea attacks. In 
addition to air strikes on Hizbollah positions, the Israel Defense 
Forces had also targeted numerous roads and bridges in southern Lebanon 
to “prevent Hizbollah from transferring the abducted soldiers”. At least 
one Israeli tank and a platoon had crossed into Lebanon in an attempt to 
rescue the captured soldiers, resulting in the killing of more Israeli 
soldiers.

In the afternoon of 12 July, the Government of Lebanon had requested the 
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to broker a ceasefire. 
Israel had responded that a ceasefire would be contingent upon the 
return of the captured soldiers. The Secretary-General had condemned 
Hizbollah’s attack, and had called for the captured soldiers’ immediate 
and unconditional release. He had called on all parties to exercise 
maximum restraint, and to respect their obligations under international 
humanitarian law.

In the morning of 13 July, he continued, Hizbollah had launched numerous 
rocket attacks, including on Haifa. The Israel Defense Forces had 
responded with bombing of Hizbollah positions, attacks on the Beirut 
international airport, Hizbollah-affiliated Al-Manar television station 
and two airbases. It had further been reported that Israel had attacked 
the Beirut airport for a second time, setting the fuel depots on fire. 
Israeli planes had also dropped leaflets across Lebanon, warning the 
population to avoid areas known for Hizbollah’s presence.

Intermittent exchanges of fire from both sides continued along the Blue 
Line, he said. The numbers of those killed and wounded on both sides, 
while disturbingly high, could not be confirmed reliably at the current 
time. Based on available information, eight Israeli soldiers had been 
killed and several wounded; two Israeli civilians had been killed and 
dozens more wounded. One Lebanese Army soldier had been reported killed, 
in addition to more than 50 civilians reported killed and scores more 
wounded.

He said the Secretary-General’s Personal Representative for Lebanon, 
Geir Pedersen, had expressed his alarm at Israel’s heavy attacks and the 
escalation that had taken place across the Blue Line. He had also voiced 
his deepest concern about the Israeli air and sea blockade. UNIFIL had 
reported several instances of firing close to its positions. One 
instance of Hizbollah firing close from one UNIFIL position had also 
been reported. No United Nations personnel had been injured and no 
equipment had been damaged.

Since the beginning of hostilities, UNIFIL military personnel had 
remained confined to their positions. It had not been able to carry out 
its regular patrols, and monitoring had been very limited. UNIFIL was in 
contact with the parties, urging them to exercise restraint. Lebanese 
civilians, displaced from their homes in the south, had approached 
UNIFIL with requests for shelter and other assistance.

IBRAHIM GAMBARI, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said the 
Secretary-General was deeply alarmed at the escalation of violence in 
Lebanon and Israel. Parts of Lebanon were under blockade and heavy 
Israeli military action, while Israel was being subjected to 
indiscriminate attacks by Hizbollah. Escalation had occurred on both 
sides, and the United Nations was particularly alarmed at the suffering 
that had been unleashed on civilians on both sides. He said that the 
Secretary-General condemned all actions that targeted civilians or 
unduly endangered them, due to their disproportionate or indiscriminate 
character.

The parties should be reminded that under the laws of armed conflict, 
attacks must not be directed against civilian objects, he said. In 
particular, they had an obligation to exercise precaution and to respect 
the proportionality principle in military operations, so as to prevent 
unnecessary suffering among the civilian population. He said the 
Secretary-General had been working unceasingly to calm tensions and 
called on all parties to adhere to their obligations under international 
humanitarian law and international agreements. The Secretary-General had 
joined leaders from around the world in working to find a solution to 
the crisis, to urge restraint and prevent this situation from spiralling 
even further out of control. “We hope that the parties heed this 
counsel, and that regional players who have influence will do likewise,” 
he said, adding: “Reckless and dangerous actions will only lead to 
further bloodshed and instability, inflaming an already highly volatile 
region.”

He said the United Nations had been encouraged by recent statements by 
the Lebanese Cabinet, which reconfirmed its commitment to international 
resolutions and respect for the Blue Line. The United Nations was 
emphasizing to all parties that a qualitative escalation of the conflict 
was in no one’s interest, and the space for diplomatic initiatives was 
quickly closing. “All parties must do their utmost to ensure that this 
space remains open,” he said. In light of the alarming developments, the 
Secretary-General had sent a political team to the Middle East to 
exercise his good offices and to help defuse this major crisis. The team 
was led by his Special Advisor, Vijay Nambiar, and included two other 
senior United Nations political officials, Alvaro de Soto and Terje 
Roed-Larsen.

That mission would endeavour to contribute to deescalating the 
situation, by conveying the Secretary-General’s call for the release of 
the captured soldiers, for restraint by all parties and for a ceasefire. 
All parties would also be encouraged to use their influence to defuse 
the situation. In all instances, the team would also emphasize the 
Secretary-General’s message to respect international humanitarian law 
and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The team was 
arriving in Cairo today, where it would conduct meetings with Egyptian 
officials and consultations with foreign ministers of the League of Arab 
States. The team would then travel to Israel, Lebanon and Syria, as well 
as to other places the Secretary-General deemed necessary.

NOUHAD MAHMOUD ( Lebanon) said his country was suffering from a 
continuous, widespread and barbaric Israeli aggression that was 
destroying Lebanon’s infrastructure, and causing the deaths of innocent 
civilians, in full view of the international community, which must curb 
the aggression and bring it to an end. The Israeli destruction and 
killing since 12 July would not resolve the problem, rather, it would 
further complicate it. The Israeli Government had held the Lebanese 
Government responsible for the Hizbollah attack, even though the 
Lebanese Government had issued a statement on 12 July, whereby it had 
declared that it had not been not aware of the incident, it did not take 
responsibility for it and did not endorse what had happened.

He said many major bridges, runways of the international airport and 
other infrastructure had been destroyed. There had been a large number 
of casualties among the civilian population. The Israeli forces had also 
enforced an air and sea blockade, in an attempt to isolate Lebanon. 
Civilians, in violation of their human rights, had also been targeted. 
The number of casualties, as of this morning, was now more than 60, most 
of whom were civilians, in addition to hundreds of injured.

He said his Government condemned and denounced the Israeli aggression, 
which was a blatant violation of all international resolutions, laws, 
conventions and customs. What Israel was undertaking was an act of 
aggression and devastation that aimed to bring Lebanon to its knees and 
to subvert it by any means. His Government had ascertained its 
responsibility for the protection of the country and its nationals, and 
its responsibility for their safety and security. It had also affirmed 
its right and duty to exercise its authority on its entire territory. 
For more than one year, the Lebanese had worked tirelessly to complete 
the efforts of regaining independence, with a full commitment to the 
Council resolutions. Israel’s aggression had hampered the efforts 
exerted towards fostering democracy, since it undermined Lebanon’s 
sovereignty and attempts to exercise its authority over its entire 
territory.

He said his Government welcomed the initiative of the Secretary-General 
to send a high-level delegation. It also called for the respect of 
international humanitarian law, and the protection of civilians and 
civilian infrastructures. Israel’s disregard of the calls made by the 
Lebanese Government –- which had expressed its complete willingness to 
negotiate the crises through the United Nations and other parties –- was 
clear evidence of the escalatory intentions of the Israelis, and their 
determination “to kill and destroy”, thus implementing the 
scorched-earth policy, for which they were known.

Lebanon invited the international community, and specifically the 
Council, to take a clear decision to establish a ceasefire and to end 
the aerial and sea blockade imposed on Lebanon, he said. The Council was 
called upon to take up the current crisis along the Blue Line, as well 
as its root causes.

DAN GILLERMAN ( Israel) said that, in July 1974, Lebanon had been a 
peaceful, prosperous country, referred to by some as the “ Switzerland 
of the Middle East”. But, one year later, in 1975, the Lebanese had 
begun their long descent into depression, oppression and terror. Since 
that time, it had become a country held hostage and tormented by decades 
of sectarian strife, political assassinations, full-fledged civil war 
and Syrian control. He said that, when Israel had made the painful 
decision to withdraw from southern Lebanon, the international community 
had asked: Would the Lebanese Government look inward and free its people 
from the strangle hold of terror, or would it allow the territory to be 
used as a training ground for Hizbollah terrorists? Unfortunately, the 
Lebanese Government had chosen to succumb to terror, rather than 
vanquish it, and to relinquish control of its country, rather than 
exercise it sovereignty.

Never had the axiom “never missing an opportunity to miss an 
opportunity” been so apt, and sadly, today, the people of Lebanon were 
bearing the cost of that inaction and ineptitude. Days ago, Hizbollah 
terrorists had acted with impunity in southern Lebanon, kidnapping 
Israeli military officers and raining hundreds of rockets into Israel, 
subsequently killing several Israeli civilians and wounding countless 
others. Those terrorists had carried out their heinous acts and then 
retreated into the terrorist stronghold of southern Lebanon. Israel had 
had to respond, as any sovereign Government would, to the assault that 
had been carried out against it, on a scale that had not been seen in 
recent years. Israel’s actions had been in direct response to 
Hizbollah’s actions, he declared, stressing that Israel’s actions had 
targeted Hizbollah strongholds and infrastructure, not civilian targets. 
At the same time, Hizbollah had continued to use civilians as human 
shields, with complete disregard for life. That group had even used 
civilian homes as bases from which to launch rockets into Israel.

He said that Israel had warned the international community for years 
about the vast numbers of rockets that Hizbollah had at its disposal. 
And, while Hizbollah’s continued shelling of Israel was reprehensible in 
its own right, Hizbollah was merely acting as “the bloody finger” on the 
hand of the long reaching arm of Iran. That country headed a terrorist 
club, which also included Syria, the entry fee to which was the blood of 
innocents and an agreement to practice terror against the entire world. 
Indeed, Iran’s current leader continually denied the Holocaust, while 
gleefully preparing for the next one. That same regime was funding 
Hizbollah to the tune of $100 million a year.

Syria, the other member of that club, was occupying Lebanon and using 
its territory to shelter and breed terror. Indeed, the real occupier in 
the region was terror, he said. But, Lebanon had yet another chance to 
release itself from the terror of Iran and Syria, and deploy its 
military to exercise full control over its own territory. He said that 
many brave and patriotic Lebanese citizens and ministers had cried out 
against the tyranny of Iran and Syria.

He made a personal appeal to the Lebanese Ambassador, who he said knew 
deep down that, if he could, he would add his brave voice to those 
Lebanese citizens. The Lebanese Ambassador knew that, if he could, he 
would say that what Israel was doing was the right thing and that, if it 
succeeded, Lebanon would be the beneficiary. The Council had a duty to 
help the Lebanese people achieve the goal of a free, prosperous and 
democratic Lebanon. It was up to the Council and the international 
community to see that the opportunity was seized, for the sake of 
generations to come.

KONSTANTIN DOLGOV ( Russian Federation) said the situation between 
Israel and Lebanon continued to intensify. The conflict was quickly 
escalating into a major confrontation that threatened the peace and 
stability of the region. The retaliatory actions by Israel, including 
the destruction of infrastructure and the blockade, were translating 
into civilian casualties and suffering. Hizbollah had started firing 
rockets into Israel, thereby also inflicting harm on innocent people. 
All of that was going on in parallel with Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip.

He said his country condemned the abduction of soldiers and the firing 
of rockets into Israel, but considered Israel’s reaction 
disproportionate. Urgent steps needed to be taken to end the escalation. 
He urged Israel to halt incursions into Lebanon, lift the blockade and 
stop destroying infrastructure. Hizbollah must refrain from anti-Israeli 
actions that also threatened Lebanon. It must release the captured 
soldiers, halt rockets attacks and respect the Blue Line. The Russian 
Federation was taking measures to achieve a ceasefire. On 13 July, his 
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, had met with the 
Secretary-General, the Prime Minister of Lebanon and the Minister of 
Foreign Affairs of Israel. He supported sending the special mission to 
the region. Given the deterioration of the situation in the Middle East, 
the Russian Federation had also sent a special representative to the region.

NANA EFFAH-APENTENG ( Ghana) welcomed the Secretary-General’s decision 
to send a three-member delegation to ascertain what could be done to end 
the unfortunate turn of events. He reiterated the call for the immediate 
release of all kidnapped Israeli soldiers and the Palestinian 
parliamentarians abducted by Israel. Once unleashed, force was difficult 
to control, and its causalities were frequently innocent civilians, 
including the general deterioration in the humanitarian situation. 
Furthermore, mistrust grew, positions hardened and the prospects of a 
diplomatic solution receded, to the frustration of all. The Council was 
fully aware of such dangers and had repeatedly called for restraint on 
both sides of the Middle East peace divide. The Council had also 
repeatedly reminded the parties of their commitments under international 
law and international humanitarian law.

Against that background, the widespread bombardment of vital Lebanese 
infrastructure, including the airport and highways, in order to enforce 
a total blockade on a sovereign State, was not acceptable, he said. 
Diplomacy had hardly been given a chance, in spite of the well-known 
difficulties faced by the Lebanese Government in disbanding the militia 
and extending control over all of its territory in full compliance with 
Council resolution 1559 (2004). While some success had been achieved 
through the strategy of containment, not much had been achieved in 
addressing the underlying causes of the conflict in the Middle East.

Noting that the Middle East crisis revolved around the Palestinian 
question, which boiled down to the achievement of an independent and 
viable State for the Palestinians, within internationally recognized 
boundaries, he called for an immediate cessation of hostilities between 
Israel and the various armed groups, and a speedy resumption of the 
peace negotiations, without preconditions. The Council must live up to 
its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security by 
refocusing its energies and attention on seeking a just and lasting 
solution to the Middle East question.

CESAR MAYORAL ( Argentina) said his delegation was gravely concerned by 
the current crisis in Lebanon, which, coupled with the recent incidents 
in Gaza, had the potential to destabilize the entire Middle East region. 
It was essential that all parties exercise restraint and cooperate with 
the high-level United Nations team that had been sent to the region by 
the Secretary-General. He said that Argentina condemned the launching of 
Qassam rockets into northern Israel, which had killed an Argentine 
citizen. Argentina also condemned the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. He 
called for the full implementation of all relevant Security Council 
resolutions. The Lebanese Government should do its utmost to exercise 
its control in the southern part of its country.

And, while Argentina respected Israel’s right to defend itself, it was 
gravely concerned by the targeting of civilian infrastructure inside 
Lebanon, and called for those practices to cease as soon as possible. 
Israeli violence along the Blue Line and disproportionate response that 
had led to the loss of life must also cease. All parties should do their 
utmost to ease tensions, do everything possible to contain the conflict 
and contribute positively to efforts to obtain the release of the 
detained soldiers. Argentina would call on all leaders in the Middle 
East, and those leaders of other nations that had influence in the 
region, to do everything they could to help prevent further 
deterioration in the region, which, if allowed to happen, would have 
consequences for the entire international community. The recent events 
had shown the need for the Council and the wider international community 
to ensure a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

JOHN BOLTON ( United States) said that, in recent days and weeks, there 
had been an outbreak of violence in the Middle East, sparked by attacks 
and kidnappings carried out by Hamas and Hizbollah. Hizbollah’s 
incursions on 12 July into Israeli territory had been deliberate. He 
unequivocally condemned the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by Hizbollah, 
a terrorist organization, and called for their immediate and 
unconditional release. The situation highlighted the need for full 
compliance by Syria and Hizbollah with Council resolutions.

He said the international community had clearly expressed its desire to 
see the authority of Lebanon extended throughout its territory. He was 
concerned about the fragile democracy in Lebanon. The democratic 
aspirations of the Lebanese people must not be undermined by the actions 
of Hizbollah. He also expressed concern about the presence of terrorist 
groups in Syria and Iran. All militias, including Hizbollah, in Lebanon 
must disarm and disband immediately. The Lebanese Government must extend 
its control over all its territory.

Syria and Iran must be held accountable for their role in international 
terrorism, he said. Syria supported Hamas, while Iran supported 
Hizbollah. No reckoning with Hizbollah would be adequate, without 
reckoning with its sponsor, Iran. He again called on Syria to arrest a 
Hamas leader and recognized terrorist that resided on its territory. He 
welcomed the decision to send a United Nations team to the region. His 
country was engaged as well, with senior officials in the region. He 
called on all parties in the region to accept their responsibility for 
security in the region.

MUTLAQ AL-QAHTANI ( Qatar) said that, over the past two days, Israel had 
waged a barbaric military campaign against Lebanon and its people. The 
Israeli assault had killed and wounded countless women and children, and 
had disproportionately wrecked Lebanese infrastructure. Was the Council 
going to continue to allow Israel to flout international law, target 
innocent civilians, bomb civilian infrastructure and blockade entire 
countries?

Lebanon was a rare international experiment that had born fruit, and, if 
that experiment was to continue to flourish, the international community 
must do everything to stop its destruction. The fact that the Israeli 
Government held Lebanon responsible for the kidnapping of the Israeli 
soldiers had sparked its outrageous response. He called on both sides to 
exercise restraint, and on the Council to end the barbaric attacks on 
Lebanon. “We cannot allow Lebanon to be brought to its knees in any 
way,” he said.

LIU ZHENGMIN ( China) said his country opposed any action that would 
destabilize the region, and called on all parties to strictly respect 
the Blue Line and the relevant Council resolutions. He denounced the 
armed aggression of Israel against Lebanon. Israel had used 
disproportionate force that had destroyed civilian infrastructures and 
violated the sovereignty of Lebanon. He demanded that Israel stop 
military action and lift the blockade. He also denounced the actions of 
Hizbollah and called for the timely release of the abducted Israeli 
soldiers.

He said the situation in the Middle East was extremely volatile. 
Imprudent actions by any party might light the fuse of a powder keg. 
History had taught that violence for violence and a tooth for a tooth 
would lead nowhere. He called on all to exercise the utmost restraint 
and to resolve the crisis through diplomatic means. He supported the 
decision to send a United Nations mission to the region, and hoped that 
it would live up to the expectations and the promise of peace.

SHINICHI KITAOKA ( Japan) said that, following the events in the Gaza 
Strip during the past two weeks and yesterday’s sudden escalation in 
Lebanon, the Middle East had seen a serious and grave deterioration. 
Japan feared that the actions on both sides in the Palestinian Occupied 
Territory and in Lebanon would have serious repercussions for 
international efforts to ensure peace in the wider region. And, while 
Japan recognized the right to self-defence, it called on Israel to 
refrain from targeting civilian areas and infrastructure.

Japan also called on the Lebanese Government to exercise full 
sovereignty over its territory, and recognized that the disbanding of 
Hizbollah bore directly on that exercise. Japan expected the Lebanese 
Government to make every effort to ensure the release for the Israeli 
soldiers. Japan strongly hoped that the leaders in the region would 
employ wisdom and judgement in bringing about an end to the current 
situation.

EMYR JONES PARRY ( United Kingdom) said he was gravely concerned by the 
escalation of the crisis, which posed a serious threat to Israel and 
Lebanon. A priority must be to calm the situation, to support the 
moderates on all sides and to create conditions for a diplomatic 
solution. Focusing on assigning fault was not helpful in that regard. He 
fully supported the Secretary-General’s decision to send a mission to 
the region. He also supported the mission of the European Union High 
Representative, and hoped that the two missions could coordinate closely 
on the ground.

He reiterated the call for the early release of Israeli soldiers and a 
halt of the attacks on Israeli towns. Although Israel had the right to 
self-defence, it must exercise restraint, conform to international law 
and avoid civilian casualties. The crisis underscored the need for full 
implementation of Council resolution 1559 (2004), including the 
importance for the Lebanese Government to exercise its full authority 
throughout its territory.

BASILE IKOUBE ( Congo) said he hoped the Council was taking into account 
the full scope of the situation. He hoped the Council would send the 
right message, underscoring not only the need for peace, but for 
increased dialogue on both sides. Congo condemned all acts of violence, 
whoever the authors and whatever the motivation. It particularly 
deplored the provocative acts -- kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and 
rocket attacks -- that had sparked the recent events. But, Congo would 
also stress that Israel’s response was also an act of war, particularly 
since it did not hesitate to attack Lebanon and destroy that country’s 
civilian infrastructure.

But, he said, this was not a time for condemnation and finger-pointing. 
That was why his delegation had welcomed the decision of the 
Secretary-General to send a high-level diplomatic mission to the region. 
He hoped that that mission would seek to promote dialogue that would 
lead to a decrease in tensions towards a lasting peace in the region. As 
things stood now, the targeting of civilians by both sides, the 
kidnapping of military officers and the firing of rockets across the 
Blue Line was doing nothing to help matters.

AUGUSTINE P. MAHIGA (United Republic of Tanzania) said he was alarmed by 
the escalating fighting along the Blue Line. He condemned the Hizbollah 
attacks and the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, which had been a 
blatant breach of Council resolutions. Israel was continuing to strike 
Lebanon by land, sea and air, and had imposed a blockade with 
devastating consequences for civilian life. On their part, Hizbollah had 
fired volleys of rockets, which presented a major escalation of the 
crisis. The situation was definitely spiralling out of control.

He urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint and stop the 
hostilities, to allow mediation efforts to resolve the crisis. That was 
urgent, he said, as a similar situation was raging in the Gaza Strip. 
The current security situation demonstrated, once again, the urgency for 
the Lebanese Government to extend its control over all its territory. 
There was a need for decisive international action to help Lebanon 
stabilize itself. The parties should be encouraged to abstain from acts 
that constituted a violation of international law. The sovereignty and 
territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected in the context of a 
comprehensive solution to the Middle East problem.

AUGO PEREYRA ( Peru) said his delegation emphatically deplored the 
escalation of the crises and the loss of life in the Middle East. The 
parties must immediately cease all violence, so that tensions could be 
eased and the search for a lasting peace could restart. He called for an 
immediate ceasefire and the start of negotiations for the release of 
detainees. The recent events had been sparked by the actions of 
Hizbollah. That group had kidnapped soldiers from Israeli outposts. And, 
while Peru recognized the right of Israel to defend itself, such 
response must be proportionate and within the bounds of international 
law. Such response must not target civilians, he added.

He said that the recent events had also highlighted the need for the 
Lebanese Government to exercise full control over all its territory, and 
to implement relevant Security Council resolutions that had called for 
the disarming of all armed groups in the country. That must happen 
straight away, lest Lebanon be drawn into an international conflict, 
which no one wanted to see. He welcomed the Secretary-General’s decision 
to send a high-level diplomatic mission to the region, and urged that 
team to not only stress the need for all sides to exercise restraint and 
avoid civilian casualties, but that the parties adhere to the objectives 
set out in the Quartet-backed Road Map peace plan.

ELLEN MARGRETHE LØJ (Denmark), noting the deteriorating situation in the 
Middle East, said that an already difficult situation had become even 
more volatile, with dire consequences not only for the civilian 
population, but for the prospects for lasting peace. In the midst of 
that grim news, the relationship between Lebanon and Israel had worsened 
and posed a grave threat to the wider security of the region. Her 
Government had condemned Hizbollah’s provocations in the strongest 
possible terms. Those who provided the means for carrying out its deadly 
attacks were equally responsible for their consequences. Given the 
prevailing tensions, Hizbollah’s attacks inside Israel were simply 
irresponsible and unacceptable. The abducted Israeli soldiers must be 
released immediately and unconditionally.

While Denmark was unwavering in its recognition of States’ —- in the 
current case Israel’s -- right to self-defence, care must be taken to 
ensure that the exercise of that right was proportional and measured, 
she said. All actions must conform to international law and must be 
carried out with due respect for States’ obligations to protect 
civilians and civilian infrastructure in times of war. Denmark was 
gravely concerned about the wide damage caused by Israel’s actions on 
civilian life and infrastructure. Of special concern was the attack on 
the civilian airport in Beirut, as well as the air and sea blockade on 
Lebanon. Denmark strongly urged Israel to show the utmost restraint.

The Council had repeatedly called on Lebanon’s Government to restore its 
sovereignty over all its national territory and to exercise the sole 
rights to the use of force on that territory, she said. She welcomed 
that the Lebanese Government had distanced itself from Hizbollah’s 
actions, and joined in urging all countries in the region to do 
everything possible to calm the situation. The humanitarian consequences 
of recent developments were cause for grave concern. The situation 
required urgent attention, first and foremost from the parties, but also 
from the international community. The level of tension in the region 
made it imperative that all parties refrain from any action that would 
enflame the already tense situation. In that regard, she welcomed the 
Secretary-General’s decision to dispatch a senior diplomatic mission. 
The parties must extend their full cooperation to the team, as well as 
to delegations from other key players, allowing them to fulfil their 
mission to contain the conflict. Any effort to ease the situation, 
including the Secretary-General’s, were highly welcome.

-- 
Kate Zaidan
Program Coordinator
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section
1213 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-563-7110
www.wilpf.org

“Revolution is a serious thing, the most serious thing about a revolutionary's life. When one commits oneself to the struggle, it must be for a lifetime.”

 Angela Davis