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MPs protest Israeli blockade
02/09/2006 16:19 - (SA)
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| An Italian marine sits on an amphibious armoured personal carrier as his battalion arrives in Tyre as part of an UN peace deployment in Lebanon. (Dimitri Messinis, AP) |
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Beirut - Lebanese MPs began a day-night sit-in to protest against Israel's continued blockade of Lebanon on Saturday, almost three weeks after a United Nations-brokered ceasefire.
About 100 deputies of the 128-member house were taking part in the protest at the parliament building in central Beirut.
The protest opened with a minute's silence in memory of the 1 200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, killed in the Israeli offensive against the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
In his speech, parliament speaker Nabih Berri urged fellow Arab countries to defy the Israeli air and sea blockade by sending boats to Lebanon without authorisation from Israel.
The international community, said Berri, should "take all necessary measures to lift the Israeli blockade which constitutes an extension of Israel's terrorist war".
The blockade began when the war erupted on July 12.
Berri said the blockade was "not only being imposed on Lebanon but also the UN and (security council) resolution 1701".
The resolution brought an end to 34 days of deadly clashes between Israel and Hezbollah and called for the blockade to be lifted.
Berri had called the sit-in during a visit to south Lebanon, which bore the brunt of the fighting, on Thursday.
He told the mass-circulation daily An-Nahar that it would continue "night and day until the lifting of the blockade".
Israel insists on a significant deployment of foreign forces before the closure is lifted, as is also called for by resolution 1701.
Israel says the blockade is to curb arms deliveries to Hezbollah.
- AFP
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