2006年VOA标准英语-Israel Continues Overflights of Lebanon

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
23 October 2006

Israeli warplanes flew missions over southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut, one day after Israeli officials rejected calls by the French government to halt the overflights.

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Tensions are building over the Israeli overflights that have been occurring on an almost daily basis since Israel and Hezbollah militants¹ ended hostilities² on August 14, after a U.N. mediated³ ceasefire took effect. 
 
 
Michele Alliot-Marie
  
Speaking at the United Nations last week, French Defense⁴ Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie called the Israeli overflights extremely dangerous, saying they were a violation⁵ of Lebanese airspace.

Her comments followed those of the French commander of U.N. ground forces in southern Lebanon, who said his troops might have to respond to the overflights.

Israel has rejected the criticism. Foreign Ministry⁶ spokesman Mark Regev says the overflights are for intelligence gathering⁷ and are necessary to monitor what he describes as "violations⁸ of the U.N. ceasefire."

"Unfortunately the Israeli overflights of Lebanon are necessary because of continued violations of the U.N. resolution 1701, which brought about the cease fire - violations by the Lebanese side," he said.

Regev says Israel has met its obligations under the ceasefire, but Lebanon and Hezbollah have not. 

Lebanese troops cut barbed wire that Israeli military had unfurled in southern town of Kfar Kila at Lebanese Israeli border, Monday, Oct. 23, 2006   
  
"I point to the fact that that the two Israeli servicemen being held in Lebanon are still being held hostage. I point to the fact that the international arms embargo⁹ to prevent illicit¹⁰ arms transfers to Hezbollah, that the mechanism¹¹ for that has not been finalized," he said. "And you have a situation in south Lebanon where the demand by the Security Council that there should be no armed Hezbollah fighters south of the Litani River has not been implemented¹²."

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have confirmed their forces used phosphorous bombs during the 34-day conflict in Lebanon. Israeli officials say the bombs are not banned under international law, and that Israel complied with international regulations that say such weapons may only be used against military targets.

Human rights groups have called for a ban on phosphorous shells and bombs because they generate intense heat and cause horrific burns.

Human Rights groups have also criticized Israel for its widespread use of cluster bombs in the conflict. They have also condemned¹³ Hezbollah for firing cluster bombs at an Israeli village.

U.N. officials say there are still about 350,000 unexploded cluster bomblets in southern Lebanon - posing a great danger to people who live in the area.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

3 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

9 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

10 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

11 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

12 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

13 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。