NewsMine — war-on-terror — israel — hostilities — 2006 — 06-jul-aug-lebanon-invasion — Viewing Item

UN says israel deliberate killed observers Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1153907225713&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pag http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1153907225713&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News Israeli PM regrets UN deaths Jul. 26, 2006. 05:49 AM LEE KEATH ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIRUT — Hezbollah guerrillas exchanged heavy fire with Israeli troops attempting to capture a southern Lebanese town on Wednesday, causing several Israeli casualties. The fighting came a day after an Israeli air strike killed four United Nations observers, including one Canadian, in a border outpost. In a phone call to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed "deep regret" Wednesday over the deaths of the peacekeepers in the air strike, which Annan had called ``apparently deliberate." Olmert said the peacekeepers were killed mistakenly and expressed dismay over Annan's accusation, according to a statement released by his office. The prime minister promised a thorough investigation and said the results would be presented to Annan. Al-Arabiya, a Dubai-based satellite TV channel said at least 12 Israeli soldiers had been killed in fighting in the town of Bint Jbail. In Jerusalem, the Israeli military would say no more than several soldiers had been wounded. Wednesday's fighting broke out as Israeli forces attempted to advance toward a hospital in the town, where it has been battling Hezbollah guerrillas for the past several days. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other key Mideast players gathered in Rome for a meeting Wednesday to discuss proposals for ending the fighting that has claimed more than 400 lives. Key issues were how to disarm Hezbollah and assemble an international peacekeeping force to enforce the peace along the Israel-Lebanon frontier. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz said Tuesday Israel would maintain a security zone in the south until either a multinational force "with enforcement capability" is deployed on the border or Hezbollah is pushed back in a ceasefire agreement that also cuts off the supply of its weapons. As the Israeli incursion continued, a senior Hezbollah leader said the guerrillas had not expected such an onslaught when they snatched two Israeli soldiers July 12. "The truth is — let me say this clearly — we didn't even expect (this) response . . . that (Israel) would exploit this operation for this big war against us," Mahmoud Komati, the deputy chief of the Hezbollah politburo, told The Associated Press. One of the dead in the strike on the UN post was identified as Chinese UN observer Du Zhaoyu, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Israel's ambassador to Beijing was summoned Wednesday morning and asked to convey China's request that Israel fully investigate the incident and issue an apology to the victim's relatives. "We are deeply shocked by this incident and strongly condemn it," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in the statement. The other three observers were from Austria, Canada and Finland but it wasn't clear which two were confirmed killed, UN and Lebanese military officials said. Israel's UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman also expressed his "deep regret" for the deaths and denied Israel hit the post intentionally. "I am shocked and deeply distressed by the hasty statement of the secretary-general, insinuating that Israel has deliberately targeted the UN post," he said, calling the assertions "premature and erroneous." Along with its daily press reports tracking major violence, the UN observers along the Israel-Lebanese border, known as the Blue Line, keep close track of individual incidents. Those figures, which do not include attacks far to the north, give a rare snapshot into the intensity of the violence in southern Lebanon. There were, for example, at least 73 acts of violence near the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon on July 24 alone, including 45 air raids and artillery strikes by Israel and 12 missile launches from Hezbollah. That was in addition to numerous clashes around the town of Bint Jbail, a town known for its intense support of Hezbollah.

ceasefire dissent qana 40 killed in strike on lebanese village { August 7 2006 } 7 israel soldiers killed in guerilla attacks 8 canadians killed in israeli airstrike { July 16 2006 } After 34 day war israel army in disarray { August 2006 } Alqaida deputy calls for worldwide war on israel { July 27 2006 } Bush backs israels right to self defense Bush gives green light for limited attack on hezbullah { July 19 2006 } Bush pledges 230m aid to lebanon { August 21 2006 } Casualties mount in israel war on lebanon Christain group lines up behind israel { July 20 2006 } Cluster bomb wounds belgian soldiers in lebanon Crowds protest israeli consulate in montreal Hezbollah drone batters israeli warship { June 2006 } Hezbollah fires new long range rocket into israel Hezbollah rocket attacks israeli northern town Hezbollah using british equipment Idf calls before targetting houses International pressure forces israel lift blockade Israel bombing causes mediterranean environmental disaster Israel calls hizbollah capture of soldiers act of war Israel captures and interrogates lebanon grocer Israel hezbollah vow wider war { July 15 2006 } Israel ignored calls from UN observers { July 26 2006 } Israel massing troops on lebanese border Israel pessimistic on jewish new year { August 2006 } Israel pm attacked for handling of lebanon invasion Israel pounds lebanon { June 2006 } Israel pounds south beirut killing 18 { July 15 2006 } Israel purposely preserving hezbollah fire power { August 6 2006 } Israel rejects UN call to lift lebanon blockade Israel soldiers seize lebanon village { July 23 2006 } Israel strikes beirut suburbs { July 23 2006 } Israel wages lebanon war poorly says reservists { August 22 2006 } Israeli cluster bombs killing lebanese civilians Israeli intelligence lapses cause warship vulnerability { July 20 2006 } Israeli planes attack bridge over abducted soldier { June 27 2006 } Israeli set war plan more than year ago { July 21 2006 } Israeli troops not well equiped for lebanon mission Lebanon oil spill rival 1989 exxon valdez spill Mainly lebanese civilians killed by israel Over 90 rockets fired at israel on friday Record number records fired at israel { July 31 2006 } Six killed as 400 rockets pound north israel State dept accuses israel of misusing cluster bombs { January 29 2007 } Stench of death hangs over south lebanon villages Syria president home buzzed by israeli warplanes UN says israel deliberate killed observers US evaculation teams arrive in lebanon US probes israeli use of cluster bombs in lebanon { August 25 2006 } US refuses to pay israel support Files Listed: 50

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