Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud affirmed Thursday that Lebanon would not be deterred from continuing work on the Hasbani and Wazzani water projects by Israel’s threats.
Lahoud detailed Lebanon’s position on the issue to senior officials who met him in his palace. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry’s director-general, Mohammed Issa, urged the envoys of the five Security Council members to seek their countries’ intervention in preventing Israel from resorting to military action over the water issue, The Daily Star reported Friday.
A presidential press release quoted Lahoud saying Lebanon was within its rights to carry out the projects, according to international pacts and agreements. It added that Israel’s exploitation of the Wazzani River during its 22-year occupation of the South “does not mean, in any way, that this de facto situation should continue by force.”
“Israel does not want to believe that its occupation of South Lebanon is over. Its presence in the Shebaa Farms and its control of Lebanese waters … should be given up,” Lahoud said.
He added that it was time for Israel to convince itself that Lebanon’s recovery of both the Shebaa Farms and Lebanese water was a “legitimate right.” (Albawaba.com)
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