The Commission on Human Rights,

Gravely concerned at the persistent practices of the Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, which constitute a violation of the principles of international law regarding the protection of human rights, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as a grave violation of the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law as contained in the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and the Fourth Hague Convention of 1907,

Reiterating its deep regret at the failure of Israel to implement Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978 and 509 (1982) of 6 June 1982,

Censuring the repeated Israeli aggressions in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, and in particular the large-scale offensive launched in April 1996 which caused a large number of deaths and injuries among civilians, displaced thousands of families and destroyed many dwellings and public utilities,

Reaffirming that the continued occupation and practices of the Israeli forces constitute a violation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council as well as of the will of the international community and the conventions in force on this matter,

Hoping that the efforts made in order to achieve peace in the Middle East will put an end to the violations of human rights that are being committed in the occupied zone in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa and that the peace negotiations will continue with a view to reaching a settlement of the Middle East conflict and achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region,

Gravely concerned at the persistent detention by Israel of many Lebanese citizens in the detention centres of Khiyam and Marjayoun, and at the death of some of these detainees as a result of ill-treatment and torture,

Reaffirming its resolution 1996/68 of 23 April 1996, and expressing its deep regret at the failure of Israel to implement that resolution,

1. Deplores the continued Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied zone in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, demonstrated in particular by the abduction and arbitrary detention of civilians, the destruction of their dwellings, the confiscation of their property, their expulsion from their land, the bombardment of peaceful villages and civilian areas, and other practices violating human rights;

2. Calls upon Israel to put an immediate end to such practices, consisting in air raids and the use of prohibited weapons such as fragmentation bombs, and to implement Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978 and 509 (1982) of 6 June 1982 requiring Israel's immediate, total and unconditional withdrawal from all Lebanese territories and respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon;

3. Also calls upon the Government of Israel, the occupying Power of territories in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, to comply with the Geneva Conventions of 1949, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War;

4. Further calls upon the Government of Israel, the occupying Power of territories in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, to release immediately all the Lebanese who have been abducted and imprisoned and other persons detained in prisons and detention centres in the occupied territories in Lebanon in violation of all the Geneva Conventions and international law;

5. Affirms the obligation for Israel, the occupying Power of territories in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, to commit itself to allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international humanitarian organizations operating in the region to periodically visit the detention centres of Khiyam and Marjayoun and to verify the sanitary and humanitarian conditions of the detainees and, in particular, the circumstances which led to the death of some of them as a result of ill-treatment and torture;

6. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To bring the present resolution to the attention of the Government of Israel and to invite it to provide information concerning the extent of its implementation thereof;

(b) To report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session and to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fourth session on the results of his efforts in this regard;

7. Decides to continue its consideration of the human rights situation in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa at its fifty-fourth session.

64th meeting
15 April 1997

[Adopted by a roll-call vote of 51 votes to 1, with 1 abstention. See chap. X.]