Sharon tells Lebanon to sign peace treaty

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 8

Sharon tells Lebanon to sign peace treaty

NZPA Kiryat Shmonah The Israeli Defence Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, has demanded that Lebanon sign a peace treaty with Israel, indicating that otherwise Israel would keep permanent control of southern Lebanon. Mr Sharon said that if the new Government in Beirut refused to sign a treaty, southern Lebanon would have “a different status" to the rest of the country. He said: "We will secure a 40-50 km security strip to keep it clear of artillery pieces and a threat of terrorist activity." The Israeli forces have moved beyond the cease-fire lines around southern Beirut, advanced on Palestinian positions and occupied the embassies of Hungary and South Yemen. Israeli tanks entered the

Jnah sector and occupied the two embassies without encountering resistance from 2000 Palestinian soldiers, supported by 1000 Lebanese militia. Seventeen Lebanese civilians and seven Israeli soldiers were injured yesterday when a military truck travelling on the Lebanese coastal road caught fire near Tyre. The truck was carrying soldiers to a point" near Beirut.

The injuries were caused when a smoke bomb carried by one of the soldiers in the truck blew up, causing hand grenades and other arms to explode. Meanwhile, Israeli troops shot and killed an Arab youth after an Israeli bus came under machine-gun fire in the West Bank, said Arab sources.

The bus, travelling from

Tel Aviv to the Jordan Valley, came under fire as it was passing through the Arab village of Balaa. but no-one was hit. Leftist Lebanese militias and their Palestinian allies have claimed responsibility for the, abduction of eight Israeli soldiers. In a brief statement carried by the Leftist Lebanese “Al-Liwa" newspaper, the Voice Arab Lebanon radio station,”organ of the Leftist Mourabitoun' militia, said that the joint forces had arrested the Israeli soldiers near the Israeli-held mountain village of. Bhamdoun, 25km east of Beirut.

The Lebanese President (Mr Elias Sarkis) has conferred with the French. Italian and United States ambassadors on the role of the multi-national force in Lebanon.