Daily Report  

Introduction
In a new violation of the April 1996 Understanding, the "Israeli" occupying forces staged air and artillery attacks against the central sector of the occupation zone. Three civilians were wounded whereas several houses were damaged.

On Tuesday, the "Israeli" agent Youssef Atwi was killed as an explosive device exploded on the road between the positions of Al-Qabaa and Mashaaroun.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met separately with four "Israeli" collaborators detained by the Islamic Resistance (IR) mujahedeen. The meeting took place at Hizbullah's Office of the Liaison and Coordination Committee.

"Israelis" wound three civilians
"Three civilians were wounded in "Israeli" shelling of villages facing the occupation zone Wednesday, a development likely to solicit new complaints by the government to the Monitoring Group".

"Abdel-Hadi Fahs, 70, and Ali Zahweh, 12, suffered shrapnel wounds when a mortar round struck their home in the village of Qabrikha, 1 kilometer north of the zone, security sources said.

"Hizbullah responded by firing mortars at an "Israeli" Army post just inside Lebanon, "Israeli" military sources said.

"Also Wednesday, 60-year-old Badiha Khiami was wounded when "Israeli" artillery gunners fired about 30 shells into a valley near Yater, some 15 kilometers southeast of Tyre".

"Khiami was wounded in the arm when several mortar fragments raked her house in the village. She was taken to hospital in Tyre"…(1)

For its part, the IR released a statement in which it reported the following aggressions which launched by the "Israeli" occupation troops on the Lebanese liberated areas (2):
00:40, a barrage of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets struck Baraasheit town.
3:00, the surroundings of the new Houla position exposed to a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets.
5:05, three 155mm missiles hit Mount Zaatar, whereas the perimeters of Baraasheit subjected to heavy machine gun fire.
6:40, five 155mm missiles landed the perimeters of Touline village.
7:30, Qaissieh Valley was shelled by four 155mm missiles.
10:45, the peripheries of Kfar Romman town came under a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets.
11:10, five 120mm shells landed near Arab Salim's school building.
11:15, Habboush River watercourse was bombarded by ten 155mm missiles.
12:15, the peripheries of Qabrikha village came under seven 81mm rounds, three 120mm shells and a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets wounding the boy Ali Ahmad Zahwi, 12, and Abdel-Hadi Fahs, 70, and damaging the house of Kassem Abdallah Zahwi in addition to igniting a blaze.
13:20, three 81mm rounds were fired at the surroundings of Qsair position.
Between 13:30 and 17:50, the west of Yater village was bombarded by twenty nine 155mm missiles.
15:25, the "Israeli" warplanes raided twice into Shohada (Martyrs) Valley near Yater firing eight air-to-ground rockets injuring the civilian Badiha Khiami, 60, in her hand. She was moved to the hospital for treatment.
Between 15:25 and 16:35, seventeen 155mm missiles slammed into the south of Jibal El-Botom village.
16:30, the outskirts of Nabatieh El-Fawqa subjected to heavy machine gun fire enkindling blazes in the wheat fields.
17:15, Dishma area was targeted by three 155mm missiles.
17:50, one 155mm missies hit Jib Soweid area.
Between 17:50 and 19:30, the west of Yater was bombarded by twenty 155mm missiles.
18:20, seven 155mm missiles struck the road of Hamra.
19:50, the "Israeli" warplanes raided into west of Yater village firing ten air-to-surface rockets.
22:30, Mount Zaatar was shelled by five 155mm missiles.
22:35, four 155mm missiles hit the perimeters of Haddatha town.

ICRC checked on Lahdi prisoners at Hizbullah…(3)
"Secret negotiations are under way to arrange a new swap of four pro-"Israeli" militiamen held by Hizbullah for a yet undetermined number of detainees held in Khiam".

"Nabatieh MP Mohammed Raad, who heads Hizbullah’s politburo, told The Daily Star that the number and names of those who would be included in the exchange being mediated by the International Committee for the Red Cross was delaying the deal."

"In an unprecedented gesture, Hizbullah officials said Wednesday that the party had allowed an ICRC delegate to visit the four collaborators ­ who were captured at different times this year while performing military duties.

"The four were brought from a secret safe house to Hizbullah’s Security Council in Haret Hreik. Over two hours, Joerg Gasser interviewed each of the men one-on-one.

"The four detainees, Butros Gerges Wehbe, Najm Elias Habib, Mohammed Nimr Bassam and Assad Ali Tirmus, were unshaven but in seemingly good health at a brief press appearance after they arrived at the Hizbullah office".

"Gasser refused to talk to journalists after visiting the detainees. The ICRC official, who also refused to have his picture taken, wanted to talk with the detainees’ families in Jezzine before making a statement, a Hizbullah official said.

"It is not known where Hizbullah is holding the "Israeli" allied militiamen, whom it says are “proven collaborators” because they were caught either taking part in patrols or guarding military posts.

But the issue has again raised questions as to why a political party ­ and not the authorities ­ were holding them".

"Raad rejected the criticism, insisting that it would be unwise for the Lebanese Army or any other authority to get involved in negotiations with the "Israel's" militia ­ directly or indirectly ­ as such a development would change the dimensions of the political and military situation in the south".

"But he insisted that there was full cooperation with the authorities on the issue".

“Just after collaborators are captured by resistance fighters inside the occupation zone in a military action, there is complete coordination with the Army, who interrogate them and form their files,” he said.

“When there are negotiations through the Red Cross, Hizbullah is the party responsible on this side,” he added. "Baalback-Hermel MP Marwan Fares, who heads Parliament’s Committee for Human Rights, also defended Hizbullah, saying that the resistance had the right to hold the men because it’s the one directly involved in the war with "Israel" and its proxy forces".

"Hizbullah and the "Israel's" proxy militia have often swapped detainees in deals mediated by third parties, though they were never as significant as the ones directly involving "Israel"".

"In June 1998, "Israel" exchanged 65 Lebanese detainees and the remains of 40 resistance fighters for the remains of one "Israeli" soldier".

"The swap was finally concluded after nine months of tortuous negotiations and numerous delays, in which Hizbullah, then-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the French government worked in secrecy with the ICRC to achieve the best possible deal."

"In July 1996, Hizbullah and "Israel" exchanged the remains of two "Israeli" soldiers ­ held by the group since 1986 ­ for the bodies of 123 resistance fighters under a German-brokered deal".

"None of the Hizbullah officials would comment Wednesday on the number of detainees the party hoped to free from Khiam in exchange for the four "Israeli" agent men, who are all from the Jezzine region. Approximately 150 Lebanese are being detained in Khiam.

"During a visit last week by Hizbullah MPs to Jezzine, parents of both Wehbe and Habib called on party officials to release their sons".

"Father Boulos Khawand, the head of the Mashmousheh monastery in the Jezzine region, also requested that Hizbullah release both men".

IR attack kills a collaborator…(4)
"The Islamic Resistance's (IR) yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) dealt a new blow to the Collaborating militia, when its squads attacked a foot patrol guarded by two M113 armored personnel carriers on the road between the occupation's outposts in al-Qabaa and Mashaaroun, killing agent Youssef Atwi and injuring other collaborators".

"Atwi was instantly killed as a roadside bomb exploded on the supplies road".

"The "Israeli" enemy's Radio admitted the death of Atwi and the Mujahedeen's attacks against the occupation's outpost in Sojod and Bir Kallab".

Collaborators concern is making money…(5)
"Residents coming from the occupied zone said the collaborating militiamen are behaving as if their withdrawal is sooner than expected".

"The collaborators' behavior is becoming better, the residents continued, for they almost stopped insulting and cursing people, yet they still are taking royalties and tributes."

"The competition between the collaborators escalated to an extent that all the residents of occupied Maroun al-Ras are talking about the story of collaborators Fawzi al-Saghir and Nabih Abdallah.

It all started when agent al-Saghir constructed a seven story building. When the construction ended agent Abdallah said to agent al-Saghir that he financed the building from extorting money at the Beit Yahoun outpost form civilians. This accusation caused verbal assaults and a fist fight between the two, ending in the imprisonment of collaborator Abdallah at the Khiam prison".

Military Operations…(6)
The IR squad of martyrs Adham Nazih Hazimeh and Abbas Ali Hijazi attacked, at 13:30, an enemy engineering force as it was fortifying Sojod outpost. The mujahedeen, who used the adequate arms, were able to score direct hits.