U.S. Department of State 
96/10/18 Statement: On Behalf of the Chairman of the Monitoring Group 
Office of the Spokesman 
 
 
 
Press Statement by Nicholas Burns/Spokesman 
October 18, 1996 
 
 
 
           On Behalf of the Chairman of the Monitoring Group 
 
 
 
The Monitoring Group met in continuous session October 14-18 at the  
UNIFIL HQ compound near Naqoura, Lebanon, to consider a complaint by  
Lebanon of a violation of the April 26, 1996, Understanding. 
 
According to the complaint, Israeli forces and Israeli-controlled  
militia shelled the village of Safad-el-Battikh, resulting in the injury  
of 13 Lebanese civilians, four of them seriously, and damage to four  
houses, the village's electrical grid, telephone lines and water  
distribution network.  The complaint stressed that the Lebanese  
resistance did not use the village to launch its attack on occupation  
forces. 
 
The Israeli representative expressed sorrow for the injuries and damage  
caused, but maintained they were an unintended result of defensive  
counterfire following a Hizbollah mortar attack.  He said Israel had  
responded in a proportionate and restrained manner consistent with the  
recommendations adopted by the Monitoring Group on September 25. 
 
The Lebanese and Syrian representatives expressed the view that the  
shelling was deliberate and voiced the concern that the Israeli  
artillery action was aimed at raising tension to prepare the ground for  
a wider Israeli military action.  The Israeli representative assured  
that this was not the case and that Israel's policy was exactly the  
opposite. 
 
The military representative of the Monitoring Group undertook  
verification missions in the area of Safad-el-Battikh, the artillery  
firing position within Israel, and the vicinity of Bara'Shit. 
 
Concluding its discussions, the Monitoring Group deplored the injuries  
caused to the Lebanese civilians in the village of Safad-el-Battikh. 
 
In light of the findings of the verification missions, the Monitoring  
Group  confirmed that the injuries and destruction were caused by  
Israeli artillery fire.  The Israeli representative stated that Israel  
considers that this counterfire was defensive, while the Lebanese and  
Syrian representatives rejected such an interpretation.