The Israeli Delegate stated that the casualties were the result of self-defensive counterfire during the evacuation of wounded soldiers following a military clash. With respect to the first Israeli complaint, the Monitoring Group accepted as factual that a Lebanese civilian at Damaskia was injured by a Katyusha rocket launched by a Lebanese armed group. The Israeli Delegate stated that the attack was by an indiscriminate weapon fired without precaution. With respect to the second Israeli complaint, the Monitoring Group accepted as factual that at least one Katyusha rocket launched by a Lebanese armed group fell onto Israeli territory two kilometers west of Shomra, causing no casualties. The Lebanese Delegate stated that the launching of the Katyusha was linked to repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanese civilians and that the Understanding aims at protecting all civilians equally.
Understanding are of equal weight.
It reminded responsible authorities of the need to exercise prudence where civilians might be affected, that combatants are responsible for the manner in which they conduct their firing missions, and that they should bear in mind the consequences of their actions. The Monitoring Group warned of cycles of action and reaction that could erode the Understanding. It called on responsible authorities to exercise caution and restraint in order to defuse tension and protect civilian lives on both sides of the border. Return to the Home Page. This is an official U.S. government source for information on the World Wide Web.