UN Appalled By Beirut Devastation
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Courtesy Of: The BBC
Sunday, 23 July 2006

The UN's Jan Egeland has condemned the devastation caused by Israeli air strikes in Beirut, saying it is a violation of humanitarian law.

Mr Egeland, the UN's emergency relief chief, described the destruction as "horrific" as he toured the city.

He arrived hours after another Israeli air strike on Beirut. Israel also hit Sidon, a port city in the south crammed with refugees, for the first time.


Block After Block
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...A visibly moved Mr Egeland expressed shock that "block after block" of buildings had been leveled.

He said the "disproportionate response" by Israel was a "violation of international humanitarian law."

He appealed for both sides to halt attacks and said UN supplies of humanitarian aid would begin to arrive in the next few days.

"But we need safe access," he said "So far Israel is not giving us access."

Israel said it will lift its blockade on Beirut's port to allow aid through, but with roads, bridges and trucks among Israel's targets, transporting it around the country is difficult.


Sidon Targeted
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Israel's bombing campaign continued, with strikes on Beirut and on Southern and Eastern Lebanon in the early hours of Sunday.

...One target was the Southern port city of Sidon, a city not previously targeted by Israel, where 42,000 refugees from the surrounding area have flooded in the hope of safety.

The BBC's Roger Hearing in the city reports that a Mosque was destroyed in one strike, which hit less than 500m (550 yards) from a hospital. At least four people were injured.

While Israel said the Mosque was a meeting place for Hezbullah militants, local doctors insisted it was Just "a place for prayer."


Bombing Intensifies
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...At least 15 civilian vehicles have been hit on the roads, including one taking injured people to a nearby hospital.

Further East, more Israeli air strikes forced engineers to turn back who were trying to repair impassable roads so a UN-escorted aid convoy get through, our correspondent reports.

...The Israelis are now shooting at almost anything moving on the roads.

At least 364 Lebanese have been killed in the 12 days of violence, many of them civilians, and angry protests condemning Israeli attacks have been held in cities around the world.


Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5207478.stm