Lebanon Seeks U.N. Help in Removing Israelis from South

Lebanese President Amin Gemayel appealed Monday to the five major powers on the U.N. Security Council for help in trying to persuade Israel to remove troops from southern Lebanon.

Beirut radio said that Gemayel met with heads of the U.S., Soviet, French, Chinese and British missions in Beirut to discuss plans to protest Israel’s actions. The five are the permanent members of the Security Council.

According to the state-owned radio, Premier Rashid Karami told Lebanon’s U.N. representative two days ago to seek a Security Council meeting to consider a formal complaint over Israeli moves in its self-declared “security zone” in southern Lebanon.

“Let Israel come to its senses and, in line with international will, take the initiative in restoring the violated territories to allow this country . . . to regain its unity and sovereignty,” Gemayel told the diplomatic corps assembled in his palace at Baabda, an East Beirut suburb.

Israeli troops and their South Lebanon Army militia allies who control the six-mile-deep occupation zone have recently shelled Shia Muslim villages in southern Lebanon, just outside the zone. Five villages were shelled Sunday night, radio broadcasts reported.