UN calls for humanitarian truce

[cal04]

The UN humanitarian chief has called for a 72-hour truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow aid into southern Lebanon and casualties to be removed.

Jan Egeland said that many children, elderly and disabled had been stranded after more than two weeks of fighting.

Mr Egeland estimated that about 600 Lebanese have been killed, around a third of them children.

He was briefing the UN Security Council after visiting Lebanon, Israel and also the Gaza Strip.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5226076.stm

[partylessinOhio]

1. But * and Poodle have a "Plan."

We don't know how 200 dead children fit in their plan. Shouldn't someone ask?

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

[Igel]

2. The humanitarian corridor to Naqoura,

and aid shipments to the north, were no-brainers.

This one is a bit more difficult, I think. It would require that sufficient numbers of roads be repaired--something UNIFIL's been working at, even as Israel goes along behind them and re-bombs them, and that traffic move freely, without threat.

That would help move people out that haven't left. But it would require vehicles moving in. Hezbollah already has checkpoints; it's not like UNIFIL, now pulling out, would even document resupply, if there are places where Hezb's stashes have been trashed or consumed, or where Hezb wants to have time to leisurely reposition and dig in.

But Egeland's pushed Israel once, and Israel's yielded. Israel was pushed again, and yielded. Can the UN nibble Israel into the conditionless ceasefire Israel's rejected?

My prediction: Fine for most of southern Lebanon, but the 10 kilometers zone adjacent to the de facto Israeli border will be a free-fire zone, ground operations with air support will continue, and the land/sea/air embargo (such as it is) will continue.

[stepnw1f]

3. I Don't Know... Israel or the US Might Bomb Ya

Afterall... can't have witnesses to war crimes.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Call for?

How about demands?

What is happening in Lebanon is a crime against humanity. The killing and murder of innocents must be stopped.