Excellency,
I am writing to draw your
attention to yet another severe violation of Resolution 1701. On 14 March 2014,
IDF soldiers on a routine patrol came under attack from a roadside bomb in the
vicinity of Mount Dov in northern Israel. On 7 April 2014, Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah admitted his organization’s responsibility for this heinous attack.
. This
revelation comes on the heels of a recent 1701 Report which clearly stipulates that
on a separate occasion, Hezbollah armed personnel were found south of the
Litani River. The bottom line is that the
Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, ignores the Blue Line and crosses every red line set
by the international community – threatening to further destabilize an already
volatile region.
Following the 14 March attack, the IDF worked in
cooperation with UNIFIL to contain the situation and prevent a wider escalation.
While Israel has thus far responded in a restrained manner, it will not permit
its citizens to become the victims of ongoing attacks or permit its sovereignty
to be violated.
Israel holds the Government of Lebanon responsible
for this incident and demands that it act in accordance with its obligations
under Resolution 1701. It must disarm
Hezbollah and stem the uninterrupted flow of arms from Iran and Syria into
Lebanon as required by numerous Security Council resolutions.
In light of the fact that Nasrallah and Hezbollah
had the audacity to gloat that they are behind the attack, the Security Council
must condemn the incident without delay or equivocation. The Council should
address this threat by taking active steps against Hezbollah’s terrorist
infrastructure. Finally, it must urge the Lebanese Government to enforce its
territorial sovereignty and implement its international commitments.
I
should be grateful if you would have this letter distributed as an official
document of the Security Council. I wish to inform you that an identical letter has been sent to H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General
of the United Nations. Allow me, Excellency, to renew to you the assurances of
my highest consideration.
Yours truly,
Ron Prosor
Ambassador
Permanent Representative