Heavy Israeli shelling targeted the southern village of Yater during the whole weekend. About 30 shells fell on the village launched from the Israeli outpost in Blat. One civilian, Mahmud Ali Toumeh, 16, was wounded while tending his sheep in the outskirts of Yater. He was later taken to Najem hospital in Tyre for treatment. One man, Mohammed Meri Korani, was killed in the shelling as a result of a severe heart attack. Meanwhile, the resistance attacked Israeli posts in the South killing one Israeli soldiers and wounding seven others, three seriously, near the Blat position in the western sector. This was the first Israeli soldier killed in four months.
The head of the Northern Israeli command Amiram Levine said the resistance has increased its operations during the last two months. Levine also claimed that Hizbullah operates in the town of Jezzine with the help of the Lebanese army and the Lebanese government.
The five-nation cease-fire monitoring group convenes shortly in Naqoura for its fourth meeting this year. Two Lebanese complaints were filed to the panel concerning breaches of the truce agreement to avoid attacks to or from civilian areas. Lebanon?s complaint centered on the killing of a citizen, Mohammed Khalil Ibrahim, in the village of Majdel Zoun, south east of Tyre. Meanwhile, Israel lodged a complaint to the group over the recent killing of one Israeli soldier and the wounding of seven others near the Israeli outpost of Blat.
Over the weekend and during prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri's visit to Damascus, Lebanon and Syria signed a trade agreement allowing unrestricted flow of goods between both countries. Hariri signed the accord with Syrian counterpart Mahmud Al-Zoghbi in the presence of a number of ministers from both countries. The agreement stipulates a 25 percent reduction per year of custom duties on Lebanese products exported to Syria thus opening the doors to freer Lebanese trade. Custom duties between both countries are to be eliminated in four years. Next on the agenda is another expected pact aimed at developing the agricultural sectors in both countries.
Prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri heads to Malaysia for a two-day officials visit. Accompanied by acting minister of state Fouad Sanyoura, the Lebanese premier is expected to hold talks with top officials at Kuala Lumpur.
Hariri's next stop will be in Azerbijan where he will meet with a number of Azeri officials. Discussions in both countries in expected to center on bilateral relations with Lebanon and ways to boost ties.
Lebanon celebrates St. Maroun's day with its three top officials. President Elias Al-Hrawi, House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri will attend a mass to mark the day. This will be held at the church which that carries the name of the Maronite sect's founder in Tabaris.
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