VARIOUS: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK HAILS LONG-AWAITED DEPLOYMENT IF U.N. PEACEKEEPERS ON ISRAELI/LEBANON BORDER AS NEW ERA FOR COUNTRY

Record ID: 400416

  • Title: VARIOUS: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK HAILS LONG-AWAITED DEPLOYMENT IF U.N. PEACEKEEPERS ON ISRAELI/LEBANON BORDER AS NEW ERA FOR COUNTRY
  • Date: 28th July 2000
  • Summary: KIBBUTZ MISGAV AM, NORTH ISRAEL (JULY 28, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV/SV: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK SHAKING HANDS WITH CHILDREN (2 SHOTS) 0.20 2. SV/SCU: BARAK AT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH CHILDREN WAVING FLAGS (2 SHOTS) 0.27 3. VARIOUS: BARAK ENTERS HALL, SHAKING HANDS WITH RESIDENTS, BARAK SPEAKING, RESIDENTS LISTENING (6
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MISGAV AM, NORTH ISRAEL/ AL-MANARA, ISRAELI-LEBANESE BORDER/ RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Reuters ID: LVAOXJ77SPTHTMURTW333XDUUE1
  • Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak hailed the
    long-awaited deployment of U.N peacekeepers on the
    Israeli-Lebanese border as the start of a new era for the
    country.

    Barak was touring the Israeli- Lebanese border, a few
    hours after United Nations troops moved into areas formerly
    occupied by Israel.

    Peacekeepers entered the villages of Yaroun and al-Manara
    in the central sector of Israels former occupation zone in
    southern Lebanon, within two km (1.2 miles) of the Israeli
    border.



    The arrival of troops from the U.N. Interim Force in
    Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Friday (July 28) came two months after the
    Israeli withdrawal from the south Lebanese zone it had
    occupied for 22 years.

    "We are in a historic day, the UNIFIL forces for the first
    time since we pulled out from Lebanon deploying itself to the
    border, to the fence today and I believe that the UNIFIL
    deployment will be followed by Lebanese elements, maybe
    Gendarmerie or other elements and later on I would hope there
    would be no need for either Hizbollah or our soldiers to
    deploy between the minimal presence in order to secure our
    settlements along the border," Barak told reporters after
    visiting the border with Lebanon.

    The troops from the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
    would move into four other areas on the southern border later
    in the day.

    Israel withdrew its troops from a 15-km (nine-mile)
    occupation zone in a lightning dash south on May 24.

    About 25 U.N. Irish and Ghanaian troops, two armoured
    personnel carriers, an armoured vehicle and a bulldozer
    entered Yaroun and al-Manara on Friday (July 28), U.N.

    officials said.

    "So far no interference with our duty, so we are okay,"
    Ghanaian officer Borman said.

    He added that his main concern was to keep his soldiers
    away from possible mines fields in the area "Our concern now
    is to find where the mines are in the area, so we advise our
    men not to go into those areas," he said.

    Lebanon, still disputing that Israel had fully withdrawn,
    played down the significance of the move and has refused to
    deploy forces to the area until a total Israeli pullout is
    confirmed.

    Meanwhile in the West Bank town of Ramallah Palestinian
    President Yasser Arafat met with Miguel Moratinos, European
    special envoy to the Middle East, to brief him on the talks he
    had
    with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak during the Camp David
    peace summit, which ended on Tuesday (July 25) without
    agreement.

    Moratinos said before the meeting that a lot of progress
    had been made in Camp David, and that the European Union would
    keep working with the two sides until they reached a final
    agreement.

    "A lot of progress, a lot of discussion have taken place
    and we have to to keep on, we have to keep trying and trying
    together with the parties to get a final deal," Moratinos
    said.

    Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are due to meet on
    Sunday to resume efforts to secure a peace agreement by
    mid-September.


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