Posted on 07/24/2006 4:47:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
BEIRUT, Lebanon - The U.N. humanitarian chief accused Hezbollah on Monday of "cowardly blending" in among Lebanese civilians and causing the deaths of hundreds during two weeks of cross-border violence with Israel.
The militant group has built bunkers and tunnels near the Israeli border to shelter weapons and fighters, and its members easily blend in among civilians.
Jan Egeland spoke to reporters at Larnaca airport in Cyprus late Monday after visiting Lebanon to coordinate an international aid effort. On Sunday, he toured the rubble of Beirut's southern suburbs, a once-teeming Shiite district where Hezbollah had its headquarters.
During that visit, he condemned the killing and wounding of civilians by both sides and called Israel's offensive "disproportionate" and "a violation of international humanitarian law."
On Monday, he had strong words for Hezbollah, which crossed into Israel, captured two soldiers and killed eight others on July 12, triggering fierce fighting.
"Consistently, from the Hezbollah heartland, my message was that Hezbollah must stop this cowardly blending ... among women and children," he said. "I heard they were proud because they lost very few fighters and that it was the civilians bearing the brunt of this. I don't think anyone should be proud of having many more children and women dead than armed men."
"We need a cessation of hostilities because this is a war where civilians are paying the price," said Egeland, who was heading to Israel next.
At least 600,000 Lebanese have fled their homes, according to the World Health Organization. One estimate by Lebanon's finance minister putting the number at 750,000, nearly 20 percent of the population.
During his visit to Lebanon earlier Monday, Egeland issued an emergency appeal for $150 million to help Lebanon through the next three months. He told reporters in Beirut the money was needed to pay for food, health care, water and sanitation.
"Approximately 500,000 to 800,000 people have been affected by the conflict, of whom some have become displaced persons or refugees," a U.N. statement said.
The United Nations has contracted 100 trucks to deliver aid coming into Beirut around the country. Egeland said the U.N. hoped to send its first land convoy to Tyre on Wednesday. Similar convoys will be scheduled every second day after that. An international Red Cross convoy was expected in the city Monday.
Egeland said he was asking Israel for safe passage for aid ships to enter the northern port of Tripoli and the southern port of Tyre, which has been heavily bombarded. So far, Israel has loosened its sea blockade of Lebanon only to let ships in Beirut port.
"We're hopeful that in the course of this week, you'll see real progress on the ground. Lebanon has a right to be frustrated," he said.
He said the U.N. was also asking Israel to also guarantee safe passage throughout Lebanon.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees have flowed out of mainly Shiite regions — the south, the Bekaa and the crowded Shiite neighborhood of Beirut — crowding into cities including the southern port of Sidon, the remainder of Beirut and parts of the north and central mountains.
"We are particularly worried about the population in south Lebanon and the (eastern) Bekaa Valley. It's here that they're in the crossfire and from where they're being displaced," Egeland said.
Continued Israeli bombardment makes the aid mission risky.
"Only cessation of hostilities can make it safe for us and our humanitarian colleagues," Egeland said.
The Associated Press
Developments Monday in Israel's offensive against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon:
• Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced visit to Beirut, meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora in a show of support for that country's weakened democracy to gain control of the entire country. She later visited Israel, which appeared to have stopped all airstrikes on Beirut while Rice was there.
• Rice also paid a short visit to the speaker of Lebanon's parliament, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah. An official close to Berri said he rejected Rice's proposals and insisted a cease-fire must precede any talks about resolving Hezbollah's presence in the south.
• Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in published remarks that the priority is for a cease-fire and he was open to discussing ideas on ending the crisis.
• President Bush has ordered helicopters and ships to Lebanon to provide humanitarian aid, but he still opposes an immediate cease-fire that could give relief from a 13-day-old Israeli bombing campaign.
• Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he wants a meeting Wednesday in Rome on the Mideast violence to agree on a package including a cease-fire, deployment of an international force and the release of two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hezbollah.
• Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Lebanon in heavy fighting, capturing two Hezbollah guerrillas. Hezbollah continued its barrage of missile attacks on northern Israel, firing more than 40 rockets and slightly wounding 13.
• An Israeli helicopter crashed in northern Israel after hitting an electrical wire while making an emergency landing, killing both pilots.
• Two aid convoys carrying food, generators and other badly needed supplies left Beirut for the southern cities of Tyre and Marjayoun.
• U.S. officials said their evacuations of Americans from Lebanon were wrapping up, with about 11,700 brought safely out as of Monday, but a group of 300 believed trapped in the south may have been left behind.
• Bashar Ja'afari, Syria's U.N. ambassador, compared Hezbollah fighters to America's founding fathers, telling CNN that "these people are fighting the same way George Washington did it 200 years ago."
"BEIRUT, Lebanon - The U.N. humanitarian chief accused Hezbollah on Monday of "cowardly blending" in among Lebanese civilians and causing the deaths of hundreds during two weeks of cross-border violence with Israel."
At least one person in the UN is waking up.
And this is why the citizens should be armed. Try this crap in my neck of the woods and you'd get your arse whacked.
But then I do suffer from an acute case of opticalrectumosis.
01
all I heard on the news
"called Israel's offensive "disproportionate" and "a violation of international humanitarian law." "
That's old news ( to some). lol ;-)
His words stung, and brought hot tears to their eyes. Their faces flushed with the humiliation of it. They fingered their weapons, and then thought better of it as he coolly stared them down.
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Cowardly blending in, should have talked to Kofi before saying that. Hope he keeps his job.
Wrong. We need complete victory so that the kind of people who do this won't be tempted to do it again.
Shocked Egeland even made this statement
During that visit, he condemned the killing and wounding of civilians by both sides and called Israel's offensive "disproportionate" and "a violation of international humanitarian law."
but
still very cynical because of this one.
"During that visit, he condemned the killing and wounding of civilians by both sides and called Israel's offensive "disproportionate" and "a violation of international humanitarian law."
"but"
"still very cynical because of this one."
Yes, but this one should be noted as progress...
"The U.N. humanitarian chief accused Hezbollah on Monday of "cowardly blending" in among Lebanese civilians and causing the deaths of hundreds during two weeks of cross-border violence with Israel."
You never get it all at once. It's like eating the elephant..."one bite at a time."
01
I like the analogy
Also quite a coincidence
I’m watching killer elephants on animal planet.
"Also quite a coincidence
I’m watching killer elephants on animal planet."
Glad I could add depth to your TV viewing experience. :)
01
He just doesn't understand Islam!
"He just doesn't understand Islam!"
Truer words never spoken, sad is'nt it.
01
"I heard they were proud because they lost very few fighters and that it was the civilians bearing the brunt of this. I don't think anyone should be proud of having many more children and women dead than armed men."
We need to keep this bumped to the top. I don't think people realize the significance of these statements.
The tide, she be a turning.
01
I'm surprised he didn't say that Hezbollah was being stingy for using too few rockets against Israel.
You surely have :)
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Egeland is the same guy who said the US was cheap when it came to tsunami aid.
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