UN: Urgent meeting on Mideast
2006-07-13 21:11
New York - The UN security council set an urgent meeting for Friday after Israel,
responding to the capture of two of its soldiers by Hizbollah
guerrillas, launched a wave of military strikes on Lebanon.
French UN ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the
council president for July, told reporters the public meeting
was being scheduled at the request of the Lebanese mission to
the United Nations.
He said Israel and Lebanon would be invited to address the
15-nation council, which also would hear a briefing by a UN
official.
The meeting was set as Israel blockaded Lebanese ports and
struck Beirut airport and two military air bases, expanding
reprisals that have killed 53 civilians in Lebanon since
Wednesday's seizure of the two Israelis.
Hizbollah fighters rained more than 80 rockets on northern
Israel in their heaviest bombardment in a decade, hitting
Israel's third largest city, Haifa, the Israeli army said.