H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary General
United Nations

Excellency,

I write to you regarding another serious violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). According to numerous reports, on 12 October 2009 at 20:30, an explosion took place in a civilian structure in the Lebanese village of Tayr Filsi, south of the Litani River. The house in question belonged to Hezbollah operative Abdel Nasser Issa and served as an arms storage facility of Hezbollah.

In the aftermath of the explosion, Hezbollah operatives sealed off the area and, as shown in available video footage attached to the electronic version of this official letter, used two trucks to remove evidence from the scene to the nearby village of Deir Qanoun. The removal of such evidence is markedly similar to the removal of arms by Hezbollah in the aftermath of the 16 July explosion in the village of Khirbat Silim as mentioned in the investigation reports on the matter delivered to the relevant parties and the reports of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to the Security Council.

Only three months after the explosion of a Hezbollah arms depot in the village of Khirbat Silim, yesterday’s explosion is another example that the Hezbollah terrorist organization possesses illegal weapons in Lebanon south of the Litani River in violation of resolution 1701 as it builds a military infrastructure within the civilian population.

The aforementioned incidents leave no doubt regarding Hezbollah’s modus operandi to place its military weapons and facilities in civilian villages and houses. Such use of civilians as human shields endangers their safety and Israel calls upon the government of Lebanon to take decisive measures in order to stop the rearmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River. The current efforts by certain members of the Lebanese Armed Forces to turn a blind eye to Hezbollah’s activities promote neither peace nor stability in Lebanon, Israel or the region. Israel holds the government of Lebanon responsible for all activity that takes place within its territory, including that of Hezbollah south of the Litani River.

Israel requested that UNIFIL commence immediately an investigation into the Tayr Filsi incident and to provide the relevant parties with their conclusions. Israel has considerable reason to believe that Hezbollah, as well as elements of the Lebanese Armed Forces, sought to stall the immediate investigation of the Tayr Filsi explosion in an effort to permit Hezbollah to remove evidence.

Two weeks before the Secretary-General’s report on resolution 1701, Israel trusts that the report will give the appropriate attention to these incidents and the situation south of the Litani River. More broadly, this report should also address key issues related to the implementation of resolution 1701, including the rearmament of Hezbollah and the unimplemented arms embargo.

I should be grateful if this information would be considered in preparation of the forthcoming report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1701.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter distributed as an official document of the Security Council. An identical letter has been sent to H.E. Mr. Le Luong Minh, President of the Security Council.

Allow me, Excellency, to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours truly,

Gabriela Shalev
Ambassador
Permanent Representative