Two of the Palestinians deported from Israel and the Occupied Territories on 17 December 1992 were evacuated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on 9 January 1993. Basem al-Siyuri, aged 16, was apparently deported by mistake and has been allowed home; Zuhayr Labbadah, 31, has been admitted to hospital in the “security zone”. The other deportees remain in conditions of extreme hardship between the “security zone” and the rest of Lebanon. Diseases such as dysentery and scabies have been reported, in addition to tooth abscesses and eye problems. The ICRC announced on 15 January that it has reached agreement with Israel to take medical supplies and mail to the men; however, the Lebanese authorities have yet to approve these ICRC flights.
