USA / UNITED NATIONS: Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in the Middle East continue

Israel announced on Friday (July 21) it would ease humanitarian access to Lebanon so relief groups could deliver food, medicine and other emergency supplies to the estimated 500 thousand Lebanese civilians driven from their homes by Israeli bombing. After U.N. advisor Vijay Nambiar presented the findings of his team's visit to the region, Israeli U.N. Ambassador Dan Gillerman told the U.N. Security Council that Israel is aware of the humanitarian difficulties. "I have just received official confirmation from Israel that further to the corridor allowing evacuation from Lebanon, a two-way in and out humanitarian corridor to meet the needs of those affected on the Lebanese side is now being formulated." "I would like to assure the council of the cooperation of the government of Israel on this important issue," Gillerman said, without elaborating. Israel earlier had announced it would help create a corridor leading out of Lebanon, to ease the way for those seeking to flee to neighbouring countries. The humanitarian corridor would be in addition to the evacuation corridor. But Lebanon's representative, Nouhad Mahmoud said he could not "salute and pay tribute" to Gillerman's announcement "because the whole world has witnessed how the Israeli military machine has turned Lebanon into ruins." U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, France and other governments have called for a humanitarian corridor as an intense Israeli assault on Lebanon entered its 10th day. Israel has imposed severe restrictions on the freedom of movement of relief agencies and the transport of goods in Lebanon, particularly in the south. The humanitarian corridor, to be observed by Israeli forces, presumably would let in goods from the Israeli side of its border with Lebanon. Shortly before Gillerman spoke, Jan Egeland, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator, said he was headed to Lebanon later on Friday (July 21) to assess the damage. Getting aid to the needy would be a problem, he said, because of ruined roads and bridges between southern Lebanon and Beirut. "Access problems are severely hampering humanitarian action. It is either too unsafe or physically impossible to move relief supplies in or around large parts of the country," Egeland told the council. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton said the U.N. must look at Syria and Iran's role in the crisis and on both countries to reign in Hizbollah and Hamas militants. "The nexus of terror between Hizbollah and Hamas and their principle backers Iran and Syria can no longer be ignored. The United States calls on Iran and Damascus to stop acting through their terrorist proxies in the region and to work toward a lasting peace with Israel. And again for the fourth time in 22 days, we call on Syria to arrest Khalad Mashal, the leader of Hamas who has received safe harbour in Damascus." After her return from New York, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice again stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. "The United States renews its call for the release of the abducted soldiers and as Israel exercises the right to defend itself, we urge Israel's leaders to do with the greatest possible care to avoid harming innocent civilians and with care to protect civilian infrastructure. We are working tirelessly to help ease the plight of all innocent people who are suffering from violence Lebanese, Israelis, and Palestinian." Israel began its assault after Hizbollah captured two soldiers and killed eight in a cross-border raid on July 12. It has also waged a military campaign in Gaza since June 28 to recover another soldier, seized by Palestinian militants. Hizbollah has fired more than 900 missiles into northern Israel, killing 15 Israeli civilians. A total of 19 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the Jewish state's offensive. At least eight people were killed by Israeli air strikes on Lebanon on Friday, taking the Lebanese death toll to 345, about 90 percent of them civilians. About half a million people have been displaced.

ITN Source | July 22, 2006

Tags:. .ignored. .impossible. .diplomatic. .jewish. .harming