Annan condemns Lebanon-Israel border clash
Posted on: Tuesday, 22 November 2005, 18:33 CST
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday deplored the deadly exchange of fire between Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrillas and Israeli forces.
Annan blamed "the Lebanese side" for initiating the clash along the border on Monday, triggering the worst round of fighting since Israel pulled out of south Lebanon five years ago. Four Hizbollah fighters were killed and both sides sustained injuries.
He said, through a spokesman, that the fighting had spread along the entire boundary, with Israeli civilian areas targeted, and that the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, a peacekeeping mission, had brokered a ceasefire "to prevent further escalation."
Annan appealed to all parties to respect the temporary boundary, known as the U.N.-demarcated blue line "in its entirety" and deplored the clash "in the strongest terms."
"He also calls on the Government of Lebanon to extend its authority over all of its territory in accordance with Security Council resolutions," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The Beirut government has been unable to disarm Hizbollah as demanded by U.N. Security Council resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004.
Meanwhile, the 15-member U.N. Security Council was unable to agree on a statement condemning the clash. U.S. officials said they were still trying to come up with an acceptable position.
A statement drafted by France on Monday would have condemned "military exchanges initiated by Hizbollah" as well as "Israeli violations of Lebanese air space."
The United States wanted the reference to Israel deleted and Algeria, the only Arab member of the council, objected to pinning the blame on Hizbollah, diplomats said.
Lebanese security sources said Hizbollah guerrillas raided Israeli posts in the Israeli part of the divided border village of Ghajar in an attempt to capture Israelis to exchange for Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The United States condemned the attack as deliberately provocative, but urged restraint from Israel.
Source: REUTERS
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