USA: Israel's UN ambassador says Lebanon is responsible for Hizbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers

Record ID: 336575

  • Title: USA: Israel's UN ambassador says Lebanon is responsible for Hizbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers
  • Date: 13th July 2006
  • Summary: (AM) UNITED NATIONS (FILE) (REUTERS) PRESS
  • Embargoed: 28th July 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA64WOO9GLBUFPSRSL46DWUQU5W
  • Story Text: Israel has reacted strongly to the HIzbollah attacks on its northern borders, calling it a declaration of war.
    "This morning war has been declared on Israel's northern border. The Israeli government regards the actions which resulted in the death of Israeli soldiers and kidnapping of two, as a declaration of war by Lebanon on the state of Israel, and we hold the Lebanese government responsible," said Dan Gillerman, Israeli ambassador to the U.N. on Wednesday (July 12, 2006).
    Israel has complained to the United Nations that Lebanon should be held responsible after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers.
    "We have submitted a very severe and very serious complaint in protest to the Secretary General of the United Nations and to the Security Council again stressing that this is an act of war, describing the severeness of this action and calling upon the international community to act," said Gillerman
    The complaint urges the international community to enforce council resolutions calling on the Lebanese government to disarm all militias within its borders and to extend its authority throughout its territory and specifically to southern Lebanon and its shared border with Israel, he said.
    There was no Israeli call at this time for an emergency meeting of the 15-nation Security Council or any other specific council action, Gillerman said.
    Asked if Israel might respond to a Hizbollah call for exchange of soldiers, Gillerman said "Israel will not go down that line. Israel will not negotiate with terrorists. Israel will take whatever steps necessary to secure the release of these people."
    Gillerman also attacked Syria and Iran and condemned their support for terrorism. According to him, they along with Hizbollah threatened not only Israel's northern border "but the whole region and the world," including moderate Arab states.
    Gillerman spoke as the Security Council met in closed session to weigh a resolution put forward by Qatar, its sole Arab member, condemning a two-week Israeli incursion in Gaza.
    That draft measure would demand the unconditional release of an Israeli soldier captured earlier as well as Israel's immediate withdrawal from Gaza and the release of dozens of Palestinian officials detained by Israel.
    Palestinian U.N. Observer Riyad Mansour said the council should view the Gaza incursion as a separate matter from the situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border. He said it should act quickly due to the deaths of more Palestinian civilians.
    But John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Washington, Israel's closest ally, saw no need at this point for such a resolution.
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